Socially|Mundane

I see Hamlet (Linden) Au often posts blurbs about how popular Twitter and Plurk are among Second Life enthusiasts [Thanks Mitch!] and how those services (especially plurk apparently) have become extensions of one's 'second life'.

I've tried Twitter. Sorry, I'm totally and completely unimpressed. I haven't even bothered to look twice at Plurk. Though I suspect Hamlet is sold on these social services a lot more than he lets-on as he seems to write about Twitter and Plurk incredibly often.

I know a few people in SL who use Plurk a lot and I read other blogs where their authors reference Plurk often. I always hear or read stories about how Plurk really can be an extension to SL in the way it seems to often generate heart-wrenching, anger-inducing drama.

We have heard often about how people can become addicted to the Internet and Second Life specifically. So is using Plurk and Twitter as extensions of Second Life a clear indication of a 'deep addiction' to SL and the internet as a whole?

Then there are all those "Second Life is Dead or Dying" news reports and blog entries. But SL has always been dying because commercial endeavors into Second Life are utter 'failures' according to the 'authoritative' media 'in the know'.

And now, the same prediction is being made for Twitter (and though not specifically mentioned, by extension Plurk.)

A couple of years from now, we'll look at Twitter as another online flash in the pan that the press and digerati got all excited about until they found the next new thing.

The hype about marketing on Twitter will sound as silly as buying islands in Second Life or crowing about your company's MySpace friends. Most of us will deny that we ever took it seriously.

[From Why Twitter Won't Change Marketing 05/18/2009]

Te big difference not actually mentioned in this article is: Linden Lab, creators and operators of Second Life are actually profitable. Twitter doesn't even have revenue-raising plan as of this writing. at least not one that is in the public knowledge.

TumblrI have a twitter account. But I don't "tweet". Haven't in more than a year. I just don't see the use in it. Though when I post an article to any of my blogs, such as AriBlackthorne.com (and .net, .org and .info) and Socially Mundane (which I haven't posted to in a really long time) or here on Common Sensible, some automated fancy digital machinery sends a "tweet" out. I often get "follower" notifications from people I've never heard of. I suspect their 'following' is for no reason at all other than to level-up their 'following' list or whatever.

[By the way, if you are sicko enough and want to see all my nonsense posts, better to follow me at AriBlackthorne.com (or ,net or .org or .info... Even these Common Sensible articles appear there.I know, what an oxymoron, right? I shoot-down the whole 'people following me' thing, and at the same time, invite you to follow me! —Ari]

Anyway, as a basic rule of thumb I don't use either Twitter or Plurk and neither do I go to those web sites to see others using them (though I do love Tumblr ). I just don't see the use in it. And of course I am only speaking for myself. For me, email, Instant Messaging and in-world is plenty fine.

Do you 'tweet' or Plurk? Would you pay money to do so?

Why?