Of all the social networking sites to have burgeoned over recent years – there are two that stand head and shoulders above the rest for popularity and we all know which these are right; Twitter and Facebook.
Of course, each of these global phenomena sites fulfills a different role and maybe it’s not fair to compare chalk with cheese; but hey – we’re going to do it anyway.
Facebook seems to have just about achieved global domination and like most fields of human endeavour, including the very Internet itself, it’s just a reflection of human nature – so there are great things about it and the not so great. On the debit side of the account, the opportunities for bullying and for social victimisation are enormous. Already, lives have been ruined. At the same time, it’s great to stay up to date with people you haven’t got the time to talk to – or simply don’t want to talk to – to see how they are, what they’re doing, how they look and what their interests are etc. In this way, Facebook is great not for staying in touch with your immediate friends and family so much, but for keeping tabs on those people you know but who are just outside your immediate circle.
But, have you ever noticed how much the self-same people can really bug you?
It’s been said before now that Facebook makes you dislike the people you know – whilst Twitter does the opposite and makes you like people you don’t know.
There’s a lot of truth in this but no social networking site can truly change the fundamentals of human nature so maybe it’s more a case of familiarity breeding contempt?
Anyway – it seems Twitter is far better at what it does for giving us information on areas of specific interest to us. It’s great at clustering information and related people etc., but even tis can get quickly out of hand if you aren’t careful. One good way round this is to invent yourself a “doppel” user and let that doppel receive only really specific niche type posts. This works if a part of your life is devoted to one particular thing.
So, for example, if you’re into gambling on the English Premier League as I am – there are various posters to follow who come up with some really keen insights and observations – and it helps inform my bets. I also follow certain bookmakers like bet365 and others as they continually come up with free bonus bets on football that are interesting and often just too good to turn down; stuff like free bets on Premier League or Champions League games or free bets on certain outcomes etc. If you stick to the bonuses these can be pretty lucrative.
Similarly, if you’re into investing in stocks and shares, there’s a whole world of information on Twitter. In fact, in this area, there’s possibly too much, so it’s a question of carefully managing the Tweeters out there whose opinion you value – and all the other “white noise”. Obviously, you’ll get good recommendations based on who you follow, but starting out with a couple of undisputed quality posters like the Financial Times and/or Warren Buffett on Twitter is a great way to get started.
I’ve tried the same broad principles on Facebook, but the dialogue just gets to bitty and distracted and seems to quickly become personal and insulting in a way that Twitter just doesn’t.
So there we are – each has its merits, but Twitter wins out for the niche areas for me.
