Howdy folks. It has been a while since I posted here. I know you are all saying “hey, why not make it a while longer!!” Too bad. I am already here, and have a topic on my mind to get out out before my head explodes.
I have been having conversations recently with folks about blogging and Twittering and IMs. Everywhere you look on the web, the newspapers (the ones that still exist) and television, you see someone telling you to follow their blog or their Twitter account. My discussions have centered around just exactly what each one is, what makes it unique, and which is better. Truth be known, I had been struggling with an answer to that question.
So here goes my take on IMs and Twitters and Blogs.
IMs are generally used to have short, one to one communications over the web. You can select several members of your friends list to send the same message to. Most people use IMs like they would a telephone. One person, one call.
Twitter, on the other hand, is just a quick, individual thought that you want to get out to everyone before you forget it. When I think of how to describe what a “tweet” (a twitter update) is, I am reminded of TV commercials where they cut to the newsdesk and say “World ends in 5 minutes. Film at 11!!!”. Tweets can be posted from the web or a mobile device. So if you are travelling and see something you want to share with the people following your account, you just text it and go. You are limited to 160 characters, which is nice, because you can not just ramble on and on, like I am doing here.
Blogging to me, can be like a journal. You sit down and write about a large collection of thoughts. You might add pictures and links and discuss in detail what they are and what they mean to this particular thought process. To be effective, a blog is generally thought out, ordered, and deeply detailed. It is very similar to a term paper or report you may write. It can really be like a newspaper article. Blogs can be great, but can also be time consuming. I have been working on this one now for nearly an hour, and have very little to show for it!!! There is not limit to the number of characters, link, images or videos you can include in a blog.
So, to sum up how I see the whole IM and Twitter and Blog thing, I guess you could look at it this way:
Snacks – Appetizers – Full Meal
IMs are snacks. You can have them individually at any time and share with specific people. You choose who gets the message, and when they get it.
Twitter is the appetizer. You send small tidbits of information that can be received by anyone who chooses to follow your postings. It provides just enough information that can be read in about a minute and can generate interest without going into information overload.
Blogs are the full meal. It is the Grand Poohbah of information. Text, links, multimedia all rolled up in a long, all inclusive post that might take you five minutes to read and digest.
So there you have it. My take on IMs and Twitters and Blogs, oh my!!!
By the way, you can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/CraigJackson