Nerd Thoughts…

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

I’ve been using Twitter for about a month and a half now. I update it multiple time per day.

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

I think it’s become popular because it provides an immediate communication tool that you can use almost anywhere. The fact that the geek elite jumped on the bandwagon and promoted it also helped.

Twitter itself may be a fad and may eventually be replaced or expanded upon with another application, but I think the instant communication trend is here to stay.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

Absolutely. It’s been a great networking tool for me, especially within the blogosphere. I’ve made connections that I don’t think I would have made otherwise. I also think it’s a great self-promotional tool if used in moderation.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

I love that’s it’s being used in conjunction with UStream to promote online video events like the trip to view a Hawaiin sunset that I got to “participate” in over the weekend.

5. What’s your profession?

Graphic Designer

1. I’ve been on Twitter since Twitter went live. Update several times per day.

2. It’s a flexible system that meets the needs of differing crowds of users. Everything from simple presence status to active social networking delivered to you in the channel you prefer. I think there’s also an underlying psychological need to relieve stress, which sending a tweet does I believe.

3. Sure. SXSW proved that. Anywhere you have a large crowd of people: conventions, meetings, sports events, concerts. It is also beginning to replace LinkedIn as a way to discover interesting people in your friends’ networks.

4. As an artist, I’d like to see more creative uses like twitter poetry, twitter performance art, urban gaming, etc.

5. Wireless artist and parent 2.0

I’ve been using Twitter since November of last year. I update way too much. I’m at a little over 1700 updates as I post this comment.

Twitter is so popular because it is so accessable from anywhere you’re at. There are multiple ways to post, along with multiple ways to receive and read tweets. You don’t HAVE to visit twitter.com to use the site. They’ve done a terrific job of making it easy to use on-the-go.

More and more I am seeing a professional need for twitter. I’ve been seeing a lot more companies on twitter these days, I’ve even encouraging my husband to start twittering updates for his company.

I’m considering ditching my RSS reader and utilizing twitterfeed to create my own “rss twitter account” to follow with my regular account, so I can keep up with news for sites that don’t hold their own twitter account to follow.

I’m a freelance designer/photographer from the Chicago area.

in order -

I’ve been using Twitter since October 2006. I typically update two or three times a day.

Twitter is popular because it helps answer some very basic questions. What are your friends up to right now? Where should we meet for lunch? And in recent memory also what was that, an earthquake? The combination of searchable archives for instant messages and fluid group building is ideal for coordinating events in near real time with an ever changing cast of characters.

I’ve used Twitter professionally from the start. It’s been a way to find other people working on web stuff in close proximity to me, people in small businesses who I wouldn’t run into a lunch but who are close enough that they can drive in from 30 or 50 miles away to turn a chance connection into a meeting. I’ve gotten real time information about conferences, made introductions in other cities, helped people find a place to eat, and otherwise been useful. It’s a really good example of a medium that’s almost purely social.

There’s a nice interaction between Twitter and del.icio.us that most people miss. It’s easy to bookmark a Twitter message on del.icio.us and then tag it. That gets it out to a whole new set of people who might not have seen the original when it went past. I’m also surprised how relatively few people use it on Jabber with the Google Mobile Talk for Blackberry - that makes mobile Twitter free, no need to pay SMS charges.

I’m Director of Social Media for Pure Visibility, a search engine marketing firm based in Ann Arbor, MI in the historic Pineapple Buidling. See http://www.purevisibility.com.

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

I’ve been using twitter for a little over two and a half months. I usually update at least once a day, but mostly 5 or 6 times a day.

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

I think Twitter presents an opportunity to stay connected in our continually more disconnected society. Things move so fast that we don’t have time to tell the people we care about what were up to. At the end of the day it turns into “I went to work.” With twitter, they can read things as they happen, so one “I went to work.” turns into 5 or 6 “I’m working on this.” or “I saw this at lunch today” It also helps us feel connected when that just might not be the case. I love having my tweets out there to be read if only for the fact that someone is reading them. I don’t care whom, it’s just nice to think that maybe someone is interested enough in what I’m doing to listen.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

I can see Twitter being used in a semi-professional setting, but never overtaking any more professional means on communication.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

I think there are definitely plenty of new and interesting ways to use Twitter and I have no debut that those ideas will come to fruition as more and more people start to use it.

5. What’s your profession?

I’m a web developer.

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

I’ve been using it for over a month now. I update every day.

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

Twitter cracks me up. It’s funny to read everyone’s little thoughts - however random they may be. Sometimes people get on certain “kick,” meaning they mention the same thing over the course of a few days or weeks, and you can really relate to them going through the experience. For instance, one guy keeps mentioning this bum that lives outside his residence. Each time he brings him up, the story gets more funny.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

I see a professional use, but I can’t quite explain it yet. It’s like that feeling when you wake up with lots of energy, but you don’t know yet what you’re gonna do with the day.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

Again - same as answer #3. I envision a lot of potential - but I’ll wait to see what that might be. People come up with some really creative things.

5. What’s your profession?

Web developer.

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

I registered for the account back in November 2006 and sent my first Tweet, but I didn’t start ‘using it’ until MacWorld when I realized I could do micro-blog posts from my cell phone.

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

Simplicity. The powerful question. Personally relevant connections and communiques. It is at once a fad and a new communications channel which I answer more frequently then my cell phone (for friends who direct message me via Twitter). The buzz will start to die down perhaps, but it will come back when it is pronounced Killer APP off the year (along with UStream.tv)

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

As a communications channel, there are many uses for it, from social advocacy, disaster support, personal connections/dating and professional uses. We have accounts for Social Media Club, and many Local Club Leaders have them as well. It is a great way to broadcast quick messages to interested parties, while being really aware of the value of their time and attention. It is also a great smartmob tool, enabling us to act as paramedia in the way that you sent the Tweet to get feedback on this article.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

I still think tagspaces is the key to twitter, along the lines of L: as used by Twittervision - there are tons of these, check out my original post on Twitter by searching our SMC Blog for more…

5. What’s your profession?

UNKNOWN

I’ve only been using Twitter for a few weeks now. Already I’ve noticed that people like to use it as a type of memo pad. People leave notes to themselves, message other people even though they have hundred of followers, and develop ideas for their blogs. I love using Twitter because it lets you put down a random thought or idea when you don’t want to form a whole blog around it. I think it can be used as a more convenient messager service in an office so you don’t have to bother someone unless they want to be bothered. I’m a paralegal and I know that I get busy sometimes and don’t want to be pestered with messages and the attorney I work for as well. But I hope that it stays simplistic; the way that it is. I’d hate for it to become too much like myspace. Right now it feels like a small community of people just wanting to know what everyone is doing.

1. I started Twittering about six weeks ago, shortly after we chatted with the company’s management team about partnership opportunities. I think it was the Thursday of the weekend Twitter tipped.

2. It’s popularity, in my opinion, traces to the flexibility in its anywhere - anytime - any format functionality. I think Twitter’s long term popularity will ultimately be directly tied to making it easier to form and/or join micro-communities tied to one’s personal interests.

3. There are clearly professional opportunities, and we’re testing a couple as we speak. What remains to be seen is how the community responds to the effort.

4. Sure, there are unique ways to use it; no, I’m not going to elaborate (because then they wouldn’t be unique).

5. I’m in the disruption business, with specific focus on pr, marketing and corporate communications.

cheers

rick

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?
About a month but never got the hang of it. I’m not using it anymore

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?
It’s like chatboxes were popular at the end of the 90’s. Just a new hip way to communicate with the world until something else pops up. We will then all forget about twitter and move on.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?
Perhaps in a company for project work but it would need moderation to keep things clear.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?
I’m sure there are but none come to mind

5. What’s your profession?
Senior SAN analyst.

You should mention the ZombieAttack on Twitter. twitter.com/zombieattack

[…] are interested in finding out how various other professionals use Twitter in their work, read this article on websitemagazine.com, which lists responses of 11 pros to a 7 question survey. Most interesting […]

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

Since about two weeks ago/ around 5 to 10 times a week.

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

Way to get in contact with people you wouldn’t reach before. Follow what other people similar to you are doing. The 40 word limit really forces you to write something succinct and direct. It’s a great way to create your own mini community. I’m finding it difficult to believe it can go mainstream. I think Twitter will keep getting popular with people who blog/ techie types or media people, but will not really spread beyond that.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

As a sort of customized news ticker. A way of virally spreading the news and getting quick feedback on events and products.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

in company chat and project management maybe?

5. What’s your profession?

Tech journalist

1. How long have you been using Twitter? And how often do you update it?

Since january 2004 http://twitter.com/opiumseed/statuses/3999873

2. Why do you think Twitter has become so popular? Is it just a fad?

10 or 20 twitts a day. Here in Brazil Twitter is not that popular, we barely have 5k users.

3. Do you see a professional use for Twitter?

A lot of profissional uses. To sign news on SMS, have fast conferences in a multibase plataform and so on.

4. Are there any unique ways to utilize Twitter that others may be missing?

Mabe some game using comands sent by twitts.

5. What’s your profession?

Internet Thinker and Front End Designer