Why I’m Loving Twitter (Despite Those F$#ken Catz)


Written on May 29, 2007 – 2:44 am | by Paull Young

Tweeter, etc.
There are two simple reasons I’m loving Twitter - personality and immediacy. And that because of this, my friends and family can immediately access my personality from across the world.

When I first tried Twitter, I was underwhelmed. I thought (along with most others) ‘who is ever going to care about what I am doing?’ and likewise, I didn’t anticipate caring too much about what my friends were doing and I really didn’t think that I would make any new friends with the platform.

All this has been proven wrong.

Firstly, all of a sudden the people I care most about do care about what I’m doing, and they do value the occasional 140 character update. See, I’m starting out a new life on the other side of the globe - everything is new, everything is different and it is hard to capture all the change when I sit down to write an email. With Twitter, I can update what I am doing, or share my thoughts - in real time. This means my friends and family can keep tabs on me as I adapt to a busy new New York life.

Next, I really do like knowing what my various blogging friends are up to. I can see their various personalities coming through in their tweets and I feel as though I have a closer connection with them because of this. I know that the next time I see friends like Andrea Weckerle or Donna Papacosta in person, I’ll have a much better idea of what they’ve been up to and our friendship should be firmer as a result.

Finally, I’ve been amazed that Twitter has sparked some new friendships. Last week in Boston Bryan Person used Twitter to pull together a group of people to ‘Say G’day to Paull Young‘. We had some great conversations, I met some great people (Steve Garfield and Scott Monty really impressed me) and know I’m staying in touch with them - through Twitter!

Twitter gets a big thumbs up from me. And if they get rid of those f%$ken cats I’ll be a fan for life. (If anyone from Twitter reads this - my dad is a veterinarian, I’m sure he can help you fix up them putty tats…)

And if you’d like to follow me, you can find my Twitter stream at www.twitter.com/paullyoung.



  1. 9 Responses to “Why I’m Loving Twitter (Despite Those F$#ken Catz)”

  2.   By Mum on May 29, 2007 | Reply

    I’m enjoying being able to check Twitter, it keeps me connected to you..

  3.   By Donna Papacosta on May 29, 2007 | Reply

    Paull, your 140-character updates about life in NYC (from fat sandwiches to crazy bike couriers) are delightful. What a great way to keep in touch.

  4.   By Skye Lemmon on May 30, 2007 | Reply

    Awww, don’t hate on the cute weetuhl kattie watties, they just want to be your friends! ;P

  5.   By Paull Young on May 30, 2007 | Reply

    Mum - you’re one of them VIP’s I’m doing it for :)

    Donna - glad you’re enjoying it, I think you get it more than most because you’re a native but removed New Yorker.

    Skye - I’m a cat person. Bur if I got my hands on those bloody Twitter cats I’d be the RSPCA’s public enemy number 1.

  6.   By Chip Spearman on Jun 3, 2007 | Reply

    I don’t use twitter, and before the other day when you spoke to us via web cast, I had never heard of it, but I must say I like the idea behind it. For the same reasons I prefer text messages to phone calls and facebook to email; time and simplicity.

    Every person I know has so much going on all the time that it is becoming more and more impossible to keep in touch with everyone that he or she would like to keep in touch with. Twitter allows, much like facebook, that ability to briefly convey to a large number, or small number, of spread-out individuals, what you’re up to, without scheduling conflicts.

    You can see what people are doing at your convenience, and keep up with them so that in your next face to face encounter, your conversation is enhanced.

    High five Twitter.

    Thanks Paull for the web cast, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

    Chip, Dr. Russell’s PR. Admin. class, UGA

  7.   By Brian Jossey on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply

    As someone who knows very little about Twitter, it seems to me that its primary feature (displaying a status) is offered by more than a few other social networking tools, most of which offer other features, as well.

    Take, for instance, Facebook statuses or AIM away messages. Both of these seem to me to be the same as a Twitter.

    As a Twitter user, what have you found that separates it from other networking tools?

    Thanks for the insight (and also thanks for taking the time to talk to our UGA PR class).

  8.   By mdy on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply

    Hi Paull. I’ve been following you on Twitter for a while now thanks to Bryan Person (thanks, Bryper).

    I get a laugh out of your tweets that revolve around your early experiences of American culture / life (root beer, zed, ’sup?, y’all, and the like). LOL.

    I’m a diehard Twitter junkie, and it’s been amazing how many interesting people, blogs, and articles I’ve found just by following partial conversations.

    Anyway, here’s wishing you much luck, success, and more funny moments as you settle into your life in the US. Cheers!

  9.   By Paull Young on Jun 4, 2007 | Reply

    Chip - good overview, you get it :)

    Brian - Facebook has actually just allowed a Twitter application. With it you can update from within Facebook, and all your tweets appear in your Facebook news feed.

    Twitter is different to Facebook/AIM statuses because it is public and has a permanent link. Anyone can read my Twitter stream, and anyone can access it at anytime to look through the history.

    This is important because I have a number of people following my stream who don’t Twitter themselves.

    Also, Twitter offers cell phone SMS capabilities.

    mdy - thanks for the comment! Great to see you clicking over here from the Twitter stream :)

    It’s a wild and wacky time for me at the moment. So much is new and different that it’s difficult for me to keep up with it all. Which is where my Twitter comes in.

    You commenting here is another example of why Twitter works.

  10.   By Shana on Jun 12, 2007 | Reply

    I actually found you through Twitter and think your tweets are delightful. I just clicked through to your blog for the first time to find out two things…1) a wonderland of virtual links and 2)you are quite the handsome fella. (What a nice surprise from the piggie face) I was looking for links to NY as I visited recently and wanted to pick up and move there but settled for finding links through twitter. Thanks Paull for the NY blog…but also for so much more. ~Shana

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