What did it take for you to “get” Twitter?
I was certainly in that vast number of people who resisted it. The first tweet I ever received was “It’s 4 a.m.” … confirming that Twitter was indeed the stupidest thing I’d ever seen.
But then I had my ah-ha moment. I was bored at the computer one night and saw a trending topic for #NewFluName. Mildly curious, I clicked to see what was happening.
Remember when the pork industry was having a fit about the swine flu? It thought the name was hurting meat sales and asked the public to call it something else. So hundreds of people on Twitter from around the world were coming up with HILARIOUS new names. Like …
- The Aporkalypse
- Porky’s Revenge
- This little piggy went to the bathroom
- Hog Flashes
- Porkenstein
- The Other White Flu
- Mad Sow Disease
- Hamageddon
- … and my favorite, “Hamthrax”
Yes, it broke the monotony of my evening. But something more important happened. I realized that I was witnessing a real-time, global brain-storming session. And it dawned on me that at no other time in the history of mankind could that kind of conversation take place. It was an awesome moment, an inspiring moment. I was finally starting to “get” Twitter.
Over the next several weeks I witnessed Twitter serve as a powerful news source during the revolutionary activity in Iran. I made my first meaningful business connections. And I began to realize that Twitter was probably the most interesting and compelling educational tool I had ever seen.
But when you come right down to it, I owe it all to Hamthrax.
I think everybody probably needs to have that ah-ha moment to get them over the top. What was yours? Did it happen in a flash or did it sneak up on you?