Twitter: Let's Take Another Look

I am old. I keep saying that, because I am! Chronologically, anyway. So when I was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century, at first I was sceptical about all this real-time virtual friends thing, but now, well, now I have a different outlook.

You see, I am a techie. I play with computers for a living. When I come home, I do NOT want to play with computers, so I stamp. Then I got a laptop a few years ago, so being connected from my couch became easy. Then I got like 6 email accounts and got all tangled up in my various personas.

Then I started a blog. The beginning of the end for me, it was. I got a comment. Then two. Then I read their blog and commented. And I saw who else commented and went to see THEIR blog, and so on. I am up to a rip-roaring three (maybe four) readers, and I love each and every one of you.

Then I met Lydia over at UnderstandBlue. She talked me into trying Twitter. I resisted, and for a long time, too. Then I dipped my toe into the pool, and saw that it was good. You see, the reason I thought I would not like Twitter is because I do not care what someone had for breakfast, or that they are leaving English class and going to Chemistry. Who cares?! But that is not what I found. What I found are people like me.

I got started the same way with Twitter that I did with Blogger. I followed Lydia. I read her Tweets. I got interested in some of her conversations, so I went to the other person's profile to see what they talked about, and if I liked them, I followed them so I could get both sides of the conversation. And so on. I am now part of a little group we affectionately refer to as The Mimosa Club.

Ah, The Mimosa Club. Just a handful of artsy types chatting about their art and their lives and helping each other with various things. For example, Lydia gives Webinars on Blogger and Google Reader, and a bunch of us took her classes at the same time. Now we help each other with "how the heck do you move your photos around your text?!" and give each other tips and tricks. Someone could not open a link I sent, and someone else helped her troubleshoot her PC from afar until it was working. We talk about our etsy stores, and yes, we buy from each other. This is a good thing.

Why is this a good thing? Because we are all so different in our crafts, and we all know other people who do similar (or very different) crafts, and we introduce everyone to new art all the time. This is called "expanding your horizons" which is NOT a new concept, believe me!

We have Tweet-ups. I actually met one of my Tweeple last weekend when she came with her family to DC for a few days. What a blast! Two of my Tweeps in Austin are going to attend the same Shoebox Swap and get to meet. I am going to meet a Tweep from Las Vegas in November when she comes to Baltimore to participate in a major art show. See how this all works?

One of my Tweeps is in Germany (GERMANY). She is a writer, and she is sharing some of her book-in-progress with us. AND, we all thought she should come over to the US next year to meet all of us. We'll do a road trip, where she'll stay with one of us for a few days, then we'll drive her to the next stop for the hand-off, she'll stay there for a few days, be driven to the next stop, and so on, until she does her whole USA tour and gets to meet ALL of us. And since she is a writer, she plans to make it a book! She even started a blog about us called "Meet The Mimosa Club". She has a map of the US on her wall at home, and over the next several months, we'll get serious about planning her route. It is too stinkin' exciting.

And finally, tonight. Tonight I coerced my college-age son to talk with my German friend on Twitter - in GERMAN! And he obliged! What fun! Then it turns out her son and mine have a hobby in common. What are the chances of that!?!

I also had my second etsy sale this evening - another one of my Tweeple bought some of my cards. Sigh, can you tell I am loving this whole thing?

So anyway, I have come to embrace at least part of this Social Networking gig. I see it can be used for good, and is not a total waste of time. As with anything, though, use in moderation. And that Facebook thing? I am so not loving that. Yet.

Thanks for stopping by!