Mark Horstman over at Manager Tools posted this audio blog post today decrying the use of Twitter (Twitter, I don’t like it). While I typically agree with Mark on most things, I had to take exception with him on this one. Here is the comment I left on his blog post. What do you think about Twitter and its place in your work flow?
For a freelancer such as myself, I consider Twitter to be almost a requirement. It is yet another way of establishing your visibility in the community, much like blogging, podcasting and video sharing.
Even more, Twitter has the ability to bring new work directly to your door. I have several personal experiences with Twitter leading directly to billable hours. While I was unclear on how Twitter might fit into my work flow when I started using it, it has become an integral part of my day now.
Can a tool overwhelm you if you let it? Surely, but as another commenter stated above, “Control the tool, don’t let it control you.” If someone systematically denies the useful of Twitter, with out ever using it, they could be discarding a great tool that could expand their career.
Douglas
Agreed. It’s odd to see Mark take a different perspective from his usual stance. He sounds like someone who has never used Twitter but will love it once he is dragged into it.
I see people who are very ineffective in every communications technology. People who spend half an hour on the phone, e-mailing useless garbage and replying to spam. Twitter is no different in that regard.