Week 7: Microblogging

OK. I admit it. I've never been interested in microblogging. Maybe it is my "I" preference on my Myers Briggs typology. I don't feel inclined to share my every thought with the rest of the world. Frankly, I'm not always interested in knowing that much about others either.  So, creating a Twitter account and using it took me out of my comfort zone.  Finding people to follow was both easy and difficult.  To start, I took advantage of some of the suggestions provided by Twitter. I started with a sampling of different kinds of accounts: news feeds from CNN and Library Journal; organizational accounts from the Wichita Police Department and the Kansas City Kansas Public Library; personal accounts from a literary agent friend of mine and Wichita's mayor; and 23 Things Kansas. Since it is Olympic week, I also opted to follow Apolo Anton Ohno but unfollowed within a day: surely someone was handling this account on his behalf because I can't imagine that he would have had enough time to create all of those tweets!  During the week, I tried to test looking for others to follow but the Twitter site was having problems and that option was not available.

Because I choose not to use by phone for posting and reading, I have to say that Twitter's value has been minimal to me in this limited test. I suspect I'd feel differently if I were using a more portable posting and reading method. What I appreciated most was how KCPL used their account to promote library programs much like the way we post to our Library's Facebook account. It seems to me that the challenge is to get users to start following the library. Once done, however, this does seem like a simple way to get reminders out about special news and events.