spring is the season for making like the birds

[the_siobhan]

I have developed a loathing for Facebook such that I only log in occasionally to check for messages. (In theory they always get mailed to me. In theory, theory and reality are the same.)

I'm still hanging out here obviously but I've decided to check out Twitter for my instant gratification needs. I've tried that before and failed miserably, so this account might also be abandoned in the corner along with my MySpace and mp3.com passwords, but having it on my phone might change that. So we'll see.

Having said that, are you on Twitter, and do you have any recommendations for feeds to follow?

Comments

[jo]

I can recommend lots of people, but they're only interesting if you're really into UK and Canadian parliamentary procedure and politics (not partisan politics). So erm, I'm guessing most of my feed is too narrowly focused for most.

If you want a slow introduction to that sort of thing (or are mildly curious/interested), you can follow me and see the sort of things I retweet/tweet (usually links to studies, committee reports, news articles about parliamentary stuff (UK mostly, then Canada, occasionally AUS and NZ). I rarely post any original content. Won't be insulted if you don't - I know my interests are quite specialised.

https://twitter.com/procedurepols

[redbird]

I'm there (@vicki), but haven't been using the site long enough to have feeds to recommend, and don't post very much.

[jo]

Something else that might be helpful. If you're tempted to follow the official account of a TV show that you like, I would warn against that if you don't watch the show in real-time because the account will tweet about the show as it airs, and retweet comments from others who tweet as it airs, etc., so if you don't want an episode ruined for you, do not follow official show accounts.

I tried that with a couple of shows and quickly unfollowed the accounts. It's bad enough that I have shows in common with my politics people and THEY watch the episodes in real time, or at least, before I do, and tweet about them. I basically just avoid Twitter on evenings of shows that I really like. Too many spoiler risks.

[greylock]

Twitter is damned handy for fluff, stuff and nonsense and time-killing, but as annoying as all hell at times and not good for in-depth stuff.

I prefer here, but all the people left.

I can't recommend any good feeds, since I only follow people that I know, not organisations, and I am both private and switch off retweets, so I am very much an atypical user.

I have been told I use Twitter wrong.

[the_siobhan]

I prefer here too, but I went to FB because everybody else did. But watching otherwise intelligent people repost "Natural News" articles is making me grind my teeth to stumps.

[jo]

Twitter is damned handy for fluff, stuff and nonsense and time-killing, but as annoying as all hell at times and not good for in-depth stuff.

Like everything in life, totally depends on who you follow/associate with. I follow a variety of professors and constitutional/procedural experts and there have been some amazingly in-depth conversations happen on twitter on topics as diverse as parliament's role in going to war, the purpose of private members' bills, etc. Sure, the character limit can be frustrating, and leads to lots of posting of links pointing to research papers and the like (which is great!), but as a general rule, I get way more in-depth stuff out of Twitter than I get fluff.

[jo]

Was just thinking that it might be easier for people to recommend things if you identified a few issues/things you're generally interested in. Politics (and what level - international, Toronto, etc?) Music? Video games? Tech stuff? Literature?

James Blunt (the singer) is amazing on Twitter - even if you hate his music. He gets trolled a lot, people tweeting insults at him, and he replies to them with the snappiest comebacks. I can't stand his music, but I follow him for that reason alone: http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2013/12/31/26-reasons-why-james-blunt-won-at-twitter-in-2013/