Twitter has been a major part of defining me since I first
used it in the beginning of university in 2009. In a way, the people on the
service have taught me far more in terms of growth as a human being, knowledge
in a wide range of issues and opportunities in the professional realm.
I regarded these Twitter activities as not being stressful,
and I have especially enjoyed them. Live tweeting a TV show on libraries,
despite disliking the style of the show, is the type of activity I do regularly
on Twitter. I especially liked seeing peers try Twitter out for the first time
and I’m amazed that more haven’t caught on to the platform. I’ve been trying to
get my peers into regularly using it and has been fun to see them gradually get
the hang of it.
Twitter to me is a daily micro-blog where I can update with
whatever I feel like saying at the time. Of course, I do censor myself somewhat
for reasons of interest to people and so I don’t make a complete fool. But in
terms of having word spread about you and building a personal ‘brand’ online that
you can use to help you professionally. The thing that fundamentally differs
Twitter from Facebook is that it’s public and the platform is made of
strangers. You can update as much as you like, on what subjects you like, and
chances are you’ll get an audience.
In terms of being an LIS professional, I’ve found there is a
very active community for the library industry on Twitter. I’ve got a constant
stream for all my subjects, as well as a tailored stream just for LIS-related
information going on Tweetdeck.
Twitter is something that is a must in this day and age.
While a must for work purposes if you are at all connected to a discussion in a
fluid industry, Twitter is also needed to hear many different voices, most much
different to the ones your friends and colleagues would typically be. For this
reason alone, Twitter is worth the hassle.
No comments:
Post a Comment