Why not?
OK, I can do better 🙂
Everyone has their own thoughts about this and their own reasons for being on Twitter (or avoiding it).
I must admit that it saddens me when I hear a lot of people/professionals make fun of Twitter, without taking the time to understand it.
These are my reasons for being on Twitter, or for that matter, social media in general.
[box]Sharing[/box]
I like to share what I know/have and whatever I can find, that I believe will have an impact on another person or a group of people. It could be information, a joke, a funny picture or whatever else, so long as what we share, is respectful of the audience.
I believe most others on Twitter fall into this category, though we all know or have come across people who take “sharing” a bit too far.
As much as I enjoy sharing, I also gain a great deal from what others share.
To the reader: Share and make a difference!
[box]Helping & Encouraging[/box]
I know that there are things I have learnt and experiences I’ve had, be it from a personal or professional standpoint, that can be of help to others. It could be the knowledge and insight to help someone in need or a life experience that could help someone else who’s facing what you faced. I always keep an eye out for what others share on Twitter and where I know I can be of help, I offer. Of course, whether my offer to help is accepted or rejected, I keep my eyes open for the next opportunity. I know that I’ve had a few opportunities to help and offer encouragement to those who needed it the most at that time. Personally, that makes it worthwhile for me to be on Twitter.
Just as much as I try to be helpful and encouraging, I too have received help and encouragement when I was in need of it.
To the reader: You can help others no matter where they are and be an encouraging influence to many.
[box]Challenging[/box]
While I love to help & encourage others, I also seize opportunities to challenge them, be it their knowledge, understanding, thinking or path in life. Of course, I take great care not to be disrespectful, but go to great lengths to engage appropriately with those I believe are up for a challenge.
I also enjoy being challenged because it helps me grow as a person/professional.
To the reader: You don’t know who will challenge you and how, and the profound impact it can have on you/your life!
[box]Learning[/box]
I’m no expert/scholar in anything, but I am always keen to help others learn and when I see those opportunities, I don’t shy away from them.
In the same manner, I have also learnt a lot because of the willingness of others to teach/help people learn.
To the reader: You can teach others as well as learn in the process.
[box]Networking[/box]
I enjoy every opportunity to connect with people, whether they be like-minded or not, whether they be geeks like me or not. Thanks to Twitter, I have been very fortunate to get to know many interesting and fascinating people, not to mention the many experienced IT professionals I have had the pleasure of meeting. I can only hope that those who’ve connected with me, feel the same way about me as I do them.
To the reader: Meet new people without travelling anywhere!
[box]Opportunities[/box]
I have come to know many recruiters through Twitter. Though I am not looking for a job opportunity at the moment, I know that if my situation changes in the future, there are a few people I can seek advice/help from. Not only that, I often see various opportunities being shared by the decision makers themselves. I myself have done this. It may not be a job opportunity, it could be a speaking engagement or something else. It could be a new business opportunity. Point is, I never know what might come my way. Neither will you, if you brush off Twitter hastily.
To the reader: You just might be presented with an opportunity you never dreamed of!
[box]News[/box]
I have come to know of news stories, before they hit the mainstream media. This doesn’t mean that I can solely rely on Twitter to bring me the news, but it’s one of those fringe benefits. I think it’s cool that there’s a greater probability of me learning something on Twitter, that the mainstream media could ignore. Because most of who I follow are IT professionals, I get to learn of training opportunities, workshops, specials and so on, without having to go hunt for them. There’s no reason why this couldn’t be true for others.
To the reader: This isn’t the most compelling reason, but it can’t hurt!
This is not an exhaustive list by any means. I may well have missed some important reasons. If I have, please do let me know 🙂
I hope that those who read this post and have never considered Twitter, will give it a second thought.
I honestly believe that many people have written Twitter off without ever giving it serious thought.
Can it be a waste of time? Yes.
Are there people who abuse it? Yes.
Can it be a useful tool? Yes.
Twitter is what we make of it. We have a choice to do good with it or do harm with it.
Thanks for reading.
Thank Sri 🙂