subject: Why Twitter is Better Than Email [print this page] Why Twitter is Better Than Email Why Twitter is Better Than Email
Let's face it, email is broken. It's become a chore to manage on a daily basis. I believe that given the opportunity, people will jump when Twitter finally tips to the masses.
This may happen sooner than later. Twitter usage is growing exponentially every month with 75 million users currently and 600 tweets per second. You might be forced to join Twitter, if you aren't using it already.
What makes it better?
I see huge advantages to using Twitter as a primary communication mechanism over e-mail. I would use it more if I had more friends and colleagues that did.
1. Check it when you feel like it.
No one expects a response to a general tweet and rarely expects an immediate reply to a direct tweet. This means you can get real work done instead of constantly monitoring email all day long.
2. No Inbox to manage.
Hallelujah. I just breeze through the tweets on the page and reply or comment on what I like. No one is really expecting a return tweet and if they do, they'll take that reply whenever. There are no folders to manage either.
3. Unsubscribe from annoying accounts.
The Follow / Follower concept on Twitter is an interesting metaphor. Instead of sending a message directly to someone (which you can still do on Twitter), just follow them and get all of their tweets. Skim them and read what you like. If they become annoying, unfollow them. People can do the same to you.
4. No spam
Well there might be spam. But you followed the spammer, simply unsubscribe from her tweets. No more spam.
5. The 140 character limit.
The history behind this limit is based upon SMS limitations. When Twitter was created, the team decided to place a limit on the number of characters that would go out via SMS for each post. They settled on 140, in order to leave room for the username and the colon in front of the message. That was it.
I like it because this limit encourages concise and brief messages. If you have something more to say, put a TinyUrl in your tweet and say it there. I'll read it if I have time.
What about attachments?
But you say, what about attachments? Try box.net or one of the other similar services out there. Share files and tweet a link to the file to your colleagues. No more attachments and multiple versions of files floating around out there.
Twitter is getting younger and stronger
Perhaps the email generation just dies off. According to research from Pew Internet, Twitter attracts a younger audience then other social networks.
Published October, 1999, Pews says "Internet users age 18-44 report rapid uptake of Twitter over the last nine months, whereas internet users ages 45 and older report slower adoption rates. For example, 37% of internet users age 18-24 use Twitter or another service, up from 19% in December 2008".
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