We need to talk about Twitter

Let's talk about Twitter. I learned of its existence the same day I learned about its purpose and function. Also the same day I started my account. About three years ago I was sent along with my work colleagues to a workshop on social media strategies for journalists. I walked in having never heard of Twitter but I walked out converted and, as instructed, I signed up and tentatively began tweeting.

Had I not sat through that workshop I doubt I would have got it. Unlike Facebook, I don't think Twitter is immediately intuitive. So I was grateful for the lesson (which I dearly wish I could compress into a neat 300-word blog post but alas). Essentially I discovered Twitter is a very efficient way of linking people and information, which was perfect for my job.

For example. I wrote the legal pages and started following legal commentators, consultants and bloggers in Australia, in the UK and the US, as well as various law firms, journalists and PR agencies representing law firms. This meant by scanning my twitter feed I was able to learn of new developments, new studies, movements in firms, changes in regulations, new articles. Anything and everything legal. I didn't need to click on every link but if something caught my eye I would read it and then it might lead to a story. In that sense it's a great way to stay informed and get ideas on whichever topic takes your fancy.

My own tweets ranged from inane (what I'd just seen or done), to more useful (links to interesting articles), to self-serving (asking for commentary for an article I was writing), to self-promoting (links to my articles). I was not a rampant tweeter but I was active and I would have continued in that fashion but for two things. First I got burnt. Badly. Publicly humiliated, want-to-crawl-under-a-doona-and-cry type burnt. Second, we moved to the UK and I no longer had the professional excuse.

So, instead, I swapped active service for pure voyeur. I log in to my twitter feed on my phone several times every day to see the news headlines, what's happening around the world, to listen in to conversations, to find new people to follow, to keep myself entertained. And I love it. Aside from any other utility Twitter is essentially a voyeur's delight. It's a place where I found so many of the people I admire, find interesting, wish I could meet – journalists, authors, bloggers, high-profile royal commentators - congregating together AND I get to listen in to their conversations.

The thing is I feel like I've now been hanging out on the side-line for too long. And I want to join the party again. Since I've been blogging I occasionally post a link to my twitter feed but that's not enough because I think Twitter is a bit like life – you only get out what you put in. So I'm planning a gradual return to active service. If you are interested in joining in – even just to watch - my account is here.