Twitter Is Dead & I Hate Headlines
Twitter isn’t actually dead but it is down. By my unscientific estimation it has been comatose for almost two hours. Rumor has it that you can hear Mark Zuckerberg and and Larry Page laughing maniacally, but I can’t confirm that.
What I can confirm is that I don’t particularly like being disconnected unless it is my choice to do so. You see Twitter is just one of the tools that I have come to rely upon to connect me to my online community. That community has become a big part of my life.
It is important enough for me to dedicate an entire newsletter to it.
My online community is composed of friends and colleagues. It is a vast network of resources that I rely upon daily. If I have questions I know that I can reach out to my community and ask for help or opinions and be confident that I will always receive an answer.
For those of us who work from a remote office Twitter is one of our virtual water coolers. It is where I can talk about Game of Thrones, favorite music/movies and just relax.
A bunch of us have been kidding around on Facebook that productivity throughout the world has shot up dramatically and that the net result of Twitter being down will have a positive impact on the economy.
I Hate Headlines
I don’t really hate headlines but I dislike living in a world of instant gratification and short attention spans. I dislike the emphasis to always have to be clever so as to grab the attention of prospective readers.
This is the sort of complaint that I tell my children to ignore. That is because I can’t see an easy way to change this. All I see is an uphill battle and though I have never been afraid to fight against anyone or anything there are some battles that aren’t worth it.
What good will come out of my complaining about headlines. The answer to that question is painfully obvious to me but probably not to any of you.
I have some really good things going on in my life now. There are some really big opportunities that I am excited about but it will be several days before I find out whether they are going to materialize or not.
So I am feeling a bit crazed because it is close enough to see but too far away to touch. Consequently I am feeling a bit frustrated and somewhat stifled. This is it coming out.
It is also one of the reasons why I love blogging. I know that just writing about this will take some of the edge off and that I will feel better. My community will read this and I know that I will be supported.
Support is important for everyone. It doesn’t matter whether you are someone who is confident enough to go against the tide or someone who isn’t. The support of a community provides comfort in a variety of areas and that is invaluable.
What do you think?
Jens June 22, 2012 at 12:56 pm
Twitter has become one of my most valuable traffic resources and the place where I do most of my conversations online. Support is everything, I am not sure if I would still be blogging or doing online marketing if I didn’t have the support from my community.
Great point Jack.
TheJackB June 22, 2012 at 2:15 pm
 @JensÂ
Hi Jens,
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Twitter is a lot of fun. I haven’t spent as much time there recently and I miss it. That community we have built really makes a big difference for me too.
CrossBetsy June 22, 2012 at 7:25 am
Support from a community IS invaluable. I pay attention to how I feel when I interact with some people and log it away, noticing whether I feel strengthened or not. My sole intent in life, whether blogging, teaching, or being a friend, is to uplift or support. What else could life be about?
Thanks, Jack.
TheJackB June 22, 2012 at 2:14 pm
 @CrossBetsyÂ
Hi Betsy,
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It is important. When you find people who pick you up it is much easier to spend time with them than those that suck the life out of us. It is a huge part of life.
Hajra June 21, 2012 at 12:15 pm
As for twitter issues… I slept through it… literally. It happened when it “night” here!Â
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As for your headlines, they make so much more sense when they aren’t related to the article…. hopes that makes sense! 😉
TheJackB June 22, 2012 at 2:13 pm
 @Hajra Hi Hajra,
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I like my headlines like that. It is just more fun for me.
griffin631 June 21, 2012 at 11:12 am
Interesting point raised
My r eaders at times point out that I should liven up my titles
The danger here is that your titles may not be to relevant to the article
I find that targeting keywords and keeping to point is important for SERP`s
If the titles are to colorful.I have difficulty staying on topic
TheJackB June 21, 2012 at 3:35 pm
 @griffin631 I am frequently guilty of writing headlines that don’t always correspond as well they could to the post.
AdamBritten June 21, 2012 at 3:39 pm
 @TheJackB  @griffin631 I think that’s a problem that all bloggers have at one point in their career – there’s a fine line between exciting headlines and fluffy, SEO grabbing ones.
TheJackB June 21, 2012 at 11:34 pm
 @AdamBritten  @griffin631Â
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I hate the idea of writing for SEO. I like to just write and see what happens afterwards.
MatchesMalone June 21, 2012 at 10:42 am
I think that Twitter being down can only indicate that no conversations are going on right now. Unless you’re also on Fakebook, or Linked In. Remembering that instant gratification takes too long, I’m willing to put up with the occasional downtime for the ‘net to catch up to me.
TheJackB June 21, 2012 at 10:44 am
 @MatchesMalone That is a good way of looking at it. Sometimes it is good to be disconnected. It helps us get centered.