Does Twitter help you get connected?

When Twitter asks “what are you doing?” is your answer:

a)    I’m not wasting my time on that nonsense

b)    It’s a fantastic way to make and consolidate connections

c)    Hang on, it’s months since I last logged on and I can’t find my password

d)    I’m practicing the art of brevity.  Twitter challenges me to be creative, incisive, witty & interesting within a 2-line box & 140 characters

e)     What’s Twitter?

I haven’t worked out my own answer yet.  I have given it another go after a couple of failed attempts and I am feeling a bit more positive about it now.

I can see the possibilities of micro-blogging – for the bits and pieces of news that don’t fit into a post, for thoughts, questions and ideas that you want to put ‘out there’.  Sometimes I think that I want a deposit for my streams of consciousness – although it’s still kind of surprising to find that other people might want to tune in…

And I like the idea of listening, waiting, learning – biding your time before jumping in.  Maybe something I read will strike a chord with me, make a connection and lead to a new conversation.  Maybe someone will read something that I’ve been turning over or wondering about out loud, like how best to use Twitter, or the pros/cons of using Advanced Typepad, and send me an offer of help. (In fact, they already have.)

Perhaps, like most such things, it’s a question of using and experimenting and finding a way to express what it is that you’re about – and trusting that the connections will follow, that your words (or rather your 140 characters) will resonate with those who were ready to hear.

And as I’m always wanting to learn about such things – and as there’s no-one better to learn from than all of you – I’m wondering if you’re making the Twitter connection?  If you can help me to make the most of it… or if you’d try and steer me away to more sensible pursuits like reading a book (!) – or sticking with blogging to make the connection?

Thanks to three bloggers who persuaded me to give Twitter another go:

• Emma Bird on HowToItaly on Twitter – and why I rate it
• Nathania Johnson on integrating Twitter into your on-line marketing strategy
• Valeria Maltoni for asking the question: Is Anybody Listening?

If you want to make the Twitter connection – you can follow me here.  If blogging’s your thing – please do just leave me a comment in the usual way