The early years of Twitter were wonderful. Back when I was following between 150 and 300 people, and most of them were following me back, Twitter was a conversation. I can remember coming home from work, going to my timeline, and following it all the way back to the last tweet I’d seen earlier in the day so that I wouldn’t miss a tweet.
I ‘spoke to’ Claudia from Argentina, Alec, Kelly, and Dean from Saskatchewan, Kim from Thailand, Wesley from Oklahoma, Sue from Australia, Rodd from Ontario, Miguel and Shelly from Texas, and Bryan from my own school district.
When these educators and others that blogged as well as tweeted shared a link, we would all go to it, read it, comment on it and retweet something that we added to the ‘conversation’.
I’m not a fan of nostalgically romanticizing the past, but that era of Twitter was so exciting and engaging. Now, I rarely get comments on my blog posts, and quite honestly I’ve reduced my own commenting too. Now I share a link and it is retweeted faster than the article could have been read.
My main timeline is ignored, with tweets flying in faster than I can possibly read them. The volume of tweets worth reading has decreased, with misleading but catchy, and retweetable headings and motivational quotes taking over from conversations and learning.
I still love Twitter, and it is still my go-to place to connect and learn from others when I’m online. But, 12 years in, I miss the power of this network to engage me in deep learning filled with rich conversation. However I also recognize that my focus has changed too. I transmit more than I converse, I dabble more than I engage. If I’m honest, I probably could not have maintained the engagement I gave Twitter at that time for 12 years.
For those new to Twitter, I hope that my book, Twitter EDU, can help you get the most out of it.
For those who have been here a while, how has twitter changed for you?
I feel alone and weird because the wonder Rodd mentions is still there for me.
I have no need to reminisce for the “good old days” because they are still here, we three are path crossing in a way that is no different, and need not be a function of the platform. It’s how we are in these spaces, how we are to others.
Oh well, I have more blogging and commenting to do. Later, friends!
So true, I readily admit that it is me that has changed as much as the tools. I think people like you and Alec seem to have kept the beautifully connected aspects of this alive. I also love the way Dean is sharing grandfather-hood as well as his usual insightful sharing. For me, until starting my daily blogging up in July, I felt this was lost. It’s coming back, but like you I have more blogging and commenting to do… at least after my work day is done:)
I think part of the wonder from 2007-2009, is that we were more community oriented and conversational in a smaller network. Frequent personal interactions, whether affirming or challenging, were fueled by familiarity and co-didcovery. I miss that aspect of my edu-tweet experience, but still have an affinity for the voices I was first introduced to on Twitter, and am blessed to have met many of my online friends face-to-face and voice-to-voice (and hat-to-hat). Thanks David.
Thanks for continuing the conversation Rodd,
That ‘affinity for the voices I was first introduced to on Twitter’ brought us together so much faster when we finally connected face-to-face. Your comment also sent me searching for this photo collage:
https://i0.wp.com/pairadimes.davidtruss.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Hat-Envy.jpg?w=612
I found the image here: http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com/blurred-identity-lines/ …and enjoyed reading the post again, as well as the comments, where I found your voice again too.
From the post: “…my definition of friendship has drastically shifted over the past few years… and I’m not just talking about Facebook’s idea of friendship, I’m talking about real concrete, salt-of-the-earth and down-to-earth friendships. As I recently said, “The lines between ‘digital’ vs ‘in-real-life’ friendship have truly blurred for me over the past 7 years. Geography is no longer a barrier to friendship.””
Thanks for being one of those ‘salt-of-the-earth’ friends that I don’t get to see face-to-face very often, but who feels so much more than just digitally close when we connect online.