Social Media Issues

The Twittersphere

-Forrest Welsh

Tweeting; Interesting, or infuriating.

Tweeting has really become the "Cool" thing to do in the past few years, its grown from a innovative social networking tool to become a barrage of advertising, with the array of devices which users can utilize twitter it is not confining to individuals using a PC or a desktop.  The effect of this is users can tweet in the moment as event’s happen or thoughts occur, this mobility of the social media platform is what in my opinion makes it great for the spreading of to-the-point topics and ideas in a short amount of time.

A great example of how twitter can be utilized is when there is a crisis or natural disaster;
In 2010-11 there was extensive flooding in VIC,QLD,NSW  in which information of areas effected and peoples responses were recording among many things, but also on twitter.

The following year there was a study assessing how information over twitter was spread, and how online communities utilized, interestingly during the Queensland floods most of the information (tweets) was by the Labour and Liberal parties, and the QLD Police services.
This is a definitive examples that twitter has the ability to be a both informative and even potentially lifesaving tool in times of crisis.


Tweeting the business.
Time magazine suggests in 2010 that twitter will change the face of companies.
While I can see the potential for brand promotion, product promotion and market research, the lack of exposure for the individual message may be a persistent factor that while making the use of twitter beneficial it may never make it essential
Companies and individuals inventing spam tools and product placement strategies, or using consumers to advertising their products by offering rewards for people clicking on links.


While the purpose of twitter is indeed to be informative about everyday life, if it has no minor benefit, amusement or otherwise satirical purpose it just a hunk of useless information clogging up what could potentially be an otherwise interesting insight in the lives, or business of a person or organisations

For example
#someguyatwitter: Just had a great morning poop
VERSUS
#InfOrgansation; Working on cancer cure, pretty close


Why is twitter good?
-Instant information in times of Crisis
-Quick to the point messages
-Growing brands
-Creating awareness

Why its bad?
-Spam
-Sea of useless information
-Advertising

-Celebrity sensationalism

Seriously celebrates generally having nothing interesting to say. Who the hell cares who or what they had for breakfast.

It is almost as annoying as  people using twitter as their own personal diary, recording everything up and to obscure as their bowl movements.

-Forrest Welsh





http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/03/twitter-all-set-get-more-annoying

 http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1901188_1901207_1901196,00.html

Social Media Data Mining: A social network Analysis of tweets during the Australian 2010-2011 Floods.  France Cheong, RMIT and Christopher Cheong, RMIT.

http://www.pacis-net.org/file/2011/PACIS2011-036.pdf