12 Canberrans to follow on Twitter in 2015

curmudgery said :

I’m with dungfungus on this.

As a means of communication it’s insulting. What can you say eloquently and persuasively in 140 characters? You can’t – so people just type something cryptic and provide links to elsewhere. They’re saying “I think this is important – now, you do the work.”

I say “If your issue is important, put a decent effort into it and I’ll engage with you. Otherwise, go to Hell you pretentious sod – don’t waste my time.”

And the amount of time people spend maintaining their ‘social presence’ is truly frightening – at the end of which they’ve achieved what?

It’s all so shallow.

As opposed to the deep and insightful discourse found on every street corner?

BTW, an online forum like this one is also social media.

A few I can think of :
@TweetCanberra – James Tew good social engagement around Canberra
@renailemay – IT Journalist now Canberra Based, former Greens Senator advisor (Twitter Verified)
@phroghollow – Android enthusiast and Canberra based editor of Ausdroid.net (Twitter Verified)

Thanks for the mention, Steven! 🙂

I have been a bit slack on Twitter recently, I need to pick up my game and tweet more often.

I know many people think that Twitter is stupid or a waste of time, but a few years ago my tweets were spotted by someone influential and they gave me a job. A job that paid much more than the average 19 year old was getting. So it’s safe to say I’m a pretty big fan of Twitter and the opportunities it can provide to people.

Evil_Kitten said :

dungfungus said :

Postalgeek said :

dungfungus said :

[
I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.

I’m curious as to why you think a opinion on Riotact has validity while opinions on Twitter are drivel?

Apart from being restricted to 140 characters what’s the difference?

Fortunately we have moderators on the Riot Act although they do have some “no go areas” but this at least gives validity to our comments by way of editorial oversight.
The same can’t be said for some Twitter examples I have seen, especially from the types that promote that “F… Tony Abbott” tee shirt.
It’s open slather on Twitter which indicates no respect for others on that forum.

You don’t see those tweets though (unless you go looking for them). When you follow someone, you just see their tweets. Not the replies from randoms. It’s not a forum – it’s a fast moving information source from only the people you choose.

If you don’t want to see posts from types that promote F Tony Abbott tshirts, you don’t follow types that promote F Tony Abbott tshirts.

This link goes to the Twitter home page of the person who promotes the F Tony Abbott tshirts: https://twitter.com/clementine_ford
It appears she has over 38,000 followers (I assume that what 38.3K means?). Random indeed.

I’m with dungfungus on this.

As a means of communication it’s insulting. What can you say eloquently and persuasively in 140 characters? You can’t – so people just type something cryptic and provide links to elsewhere. They’re saying “I think this is important – now, you do the work.”

I say “If your issue is important, put a decent effort into it and I’ll engage with you. Otherwise, go to Hell you pretentious sod – don’t waste my time.”

And the amount of time people spend maintaining their ‘social presence’ is truly frightening – at the end of which they’ve achieved what?

It’s all so shallow.

dungfungus said :

Postalgeek said :

dungfungus said :

[
I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.

I’m curious as to why you think a opinion on Riotact has validity while opinions on Twitter are drivel?

Apart from being restricted to 140 characters what’s the difference?

Fortunately we have moderators on the Riot Act although they do have some “no go areas” but this at least gives validity to our comments by way of editorial oversight.
The same can’t be said for some Twitter examples I have seen, especially from the types that promote that “F… Tony Abbott” tee shirt.
It’s open slather on Twitter which indicates no respect for others on that forum.

You don’t see those tweets though (unless you go looking for them). When you follow someone, you just see their tweets. Not the replies from randoms. It’s not a forum – it’s a fast moving information source from only the people you choose.

If you don’t want to see posts from types that promote F Tony Abbott tshirts, you don’t follow types that promote F Tony Abbott tshirts.

Postalgeek said :

dungfungus said :

[
I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.

I’m curious as to why you think a opinion on Riotact has validity while opinions on Twitter are drivel?

Apart from being restricted to 140 characters what’s the difference?

Fortunately we have moderators on the Riot Act although they do have some “no go areas” but this at least gives validity to our comments by way of editorial oversight.
The same can’t be said for some Twitter examples I have seen, especially from the types that promote that “F… Tony Abbott” tee shirt.
It’s open slather on Twitter which indicates no respect for others on that forum.

dungfungus said :

[
I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.

I’m curious as to why you think a opinion on Riotact has validity while opinions on Twitter are drivel? Apart from being restricted to 140 characters what’s the difference?

dungfungus said :

Ghettosmurf87 said :

dungfungus said :

Is Twitter and Facebook the tools or are the users also tools?
Seriously, I appreciate what you have conveyed.
Twitter is obviously for the very young, immature and insecure and I think (hope) it will be part of a transition to adulthood for them.

It is not “obviously” for the very young, immature and insecure, that is simply how you perceive it without actually using it. Unlike many visually based social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and even Facebook, twitter is far less about people posting pictures of themselves or telling their folowers what they are doing.

It’s real strength is as a live or current news aggregation service. Whether that is the news as provided by a number of commercial outlets such as newspapers, radio & television stations and organisations seeking attention, or that provided by journalists and people of interest, right down to local sports clubs and volunteer associations.

Twitter allows you to “follow” a large variety of news outlets. Whichever ones you choose in fact, and get a rolling stream of headlines/by-lines from those outlets from which you can then link to the full article in your browser. So instead of waiting for tomorrows newspaper to come out or going to a single website of a particular news service, you can instead get them all aggregated into one space in relatively real time as the stories are released.

Our local sporting team (cricket) also uses it to keep the various grades around Canberra, as well as family and friends, apprised of what is happening at other grades without having to have one person call 4 different teams each time they want an update, or sending annoying group texts. Instead the club provides a player or official in each grade with access to the clubs twitter account and they update these at regular intervals when possible. That way anyone wanting to know the score in 3rd grade just has to check the clubs twitter account. It has been a wonderful innovation at our club and means that when one grade finishes, they have an idea of what is happening elsewhere and can decide to go and watch if support is needed for a close game or the like.

Also very good for notification of ground closures/rain delays/wash outs etc

I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.

People managed before batteries, electricity, mobile phones, the automobile, aeroplanes, the internet, email etc. That doesn’t make them any less useful.

Times change, as do the technologies available to us. Just because you managed in the past, it doesn’t mean new technology can’t assist you.

That’s also not to say that all new inventions are useful, however, just because you don’t use them, it’s no excuse to deride and denigrate those who do

Ghettosmurf87 said :

dungfungus said :

Is Twitter and Facebook the tools or are the users also tools?
Seriously, I appreciate what you have conveyed.
Twitter is obviously for the very young, immature and insecure and I think (hope) it will be part of a transition to adulthood for them.

It is not “obviously” for the very young, immature and insecure, that is simply how you perceive it without actually using it. Unlike many visually based social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and even Facebook, twitter is far less about people posting pictures of themselves or telling their folowers what they are doing.

It’s real strength is as a live or current news aggregation service. Whether that is the news as provided by a number of commercial outlets such as newspapers, radio & television stations and organisations seeking attention, or that provided by journalists and people of interest, right down to local sports clubs and volunteer associations.

Twitter allows you to “follow” a large variety of news outlets. Whichever ones you choose in fact, and get a rolling stream of headlines/by-lines from those outlets from which you can then link to the full article in your browser. So instead of waiting for tomorrows newspaper to come out or going to a single website of a particular news service, you can instead get them all aggregated into one space in relatively real time as the stories are released.

Our local sporting team (cricket) also uses it to keep the various grades around Canberra, as well as family and friends, apprised of what is happening at other grades without having to have one person call 4 different teams each time they want an update, or sending annoying group texts. Instead the club provides a player or official in each grade with access to the clubs twitter account and they update these at regular intervals when possible. That way anyone wanting to know the score in 3rd grade just has to check the clubs twitter account. It has been a wonderful innovation at our club and means that when one grade finishes, they have an idea of what is happening elsewhere and can decide to go and watch if support is needed for a close game or the like.

Also very good for notification of ground closures/rain delays/wash outs etc

I don’t perceive a use for it – maybe later, but I can see the asset it has become for the examples you have provided.
It makes one wonder how society managed life before this social media revolution was unleashed on us.
Indeed, some of us manage quite well without it. It’s horses for courses.