I am wondering if Twitter might be the most effective web service, at the moment, for keeping in touch with your existing online networks and expanding those networks? Sure Facebook works very well for an existing network, but I find it a little more difficult to expand as finding new people can be challenging.
Twitter on the other hand, while not giving you the depth of information available on Facebook, contains immediate, easily digestible nuggets of content. Tweets can, on the surface, seem throwaway and irrelevant, perhaps too casual, but this type of content; off the cuff, spur-of-the-moment, is a valuable contribution to the rich fabric of conversation. Combine that with the ability to get involved in new conversations quickly, without having to construct an indepth analysis, creates a low barrier of entry - something which can foster engagement.
Three key criteria:
- Very simple to use and understand
- Immediate and lightweight – you can dive in and out, without too much disruption to your daily flow
- Crucially, it works well across a range of devices and services
I am also curious whether a Twitter type service would flourish as effectively within closed situations - services like Present.ly and Yammer are experimenting in this space. Will the loss of random and unexpected conversation, the cross pollination of networks and the casual nature still make such a service valuable? I am not yet sure, but am interested in finding out.
