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DC COLUMNISTS DEBATE: Twitters and tweets
Taylor Trudon and Cindy Luo
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Commentary
Twitter is useful
• Twitter is a helpful method of spreading information quickly. It provides the benefit of being able to ask and answer school- or work-related questions quickly.
• A benefit of twitter is that you can access information instantly. For instance, when the Mumbai attacks occurred, people were able to twitter about the situation as it was happening (even before the media arrived).
• Scientists have been working on pairing Twitter with body sensors. This research could potentially enable (for example) your Twitter to notify your doctor if your blood sugar dipped too low.
• Twitter promotes a feeling of connectedness. For example, President Obama announced that Joe Biden would be his running mate via Twitter. This enabled everyone to learn of the impending announcement at once.
• Ultimately, Twitter is a great new piece of technology that can be used for problem solving, making announcements and asking questions. It yields a diverse field of responses that is easy and efficient to use. Finally, Twitter can be beneficial for businesses to market new products.
Twitter is useless
• Though it is quick, calling on the phone or talking face-to-face is better than simply twittering someone.
• The problem with that is that in order to access Twitter, you must be online. If you aren't online, Twitter is useless (by the time you receive the message, it will be too late).
• That technology is still in its developmental stages. More importantly, doctors and patients should establish methods of communication that don't require a patient's body being connected to the Internet. Also, even if Twitter could be helpful scientifically, it doesn't mitigate the fact that Twitter is simply a mechanism for people to waste time during their daily lives.
• The problem with Twitter is that you need to constantly be signed on. Additionally, 140 characters doesn't permit any substantive communication. Twitter fosters a more insular, online community (as opposed to traditional means of communication, such as face-to-face).
• Twitter is a helpful method of spreading information quickly. It provides the benefit of being able to ask and answer school- or work-related questions quickly.
• A benefit of twitter is that you can access information instantly. For instance, when the Mumbai attacks occurred, people were able to twitter about the situation as it was happening (even before the media arrived).
• Scientists have been working on pairing Twitter with body sensors. This research could potentially enable (for example) your Twitter to notify your doctor if your blood sugar dipped too low.
• Twitter promotes a feeling of connectedness. For example, President Obama announced that Joe Biden would be his running mate via Twitter. This enabled everyone to learn of the impending announcement at once.
• Ultimately, Twitter is a great new piece of technology that can be used for problem solving, making announcements and asking questions. It yields a diverse field of responses that is easy and efficient to use. Finally, Twitter can be beneficial for businesses to market new products.
Twitter is useless
• Though it is quick, calling on the phone or talking face-to-face is better than simply twittering someone.
• The problem with that is that in order to access Twitter, you must be online. If you aren't online, Twitter is useless (by the time you receive the message, it will be too late).
• That technology is still in its developmental stages. More importantly, doctors and patients should establish methods of communication that don't require a patient's body being connected to the Internet. Also, even if Twitter could be helpful scientifically, it doesn't mitigate the fact that Twitter is simply a mechanism for people to waste time during their daily lives.
• The problem with Twitter is that you need to constantly be signed on. Additionally, 140 characters doesn't permit any substantive communication. Twitter fosters a more insular, online community (as opposed to traditional means of communication, such as face-to-face).
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