How Do You Use Twitter?

Ok, I've been playing on Twitter for about four or five months.  I have a bunch of people that are following me, but I haven't started following anyone yet  So, those of you that are using Twitter, how are you using it?  What are the practical benefits of Twitter?  Teach me.

Comments

[Janet]

Aw, shoot. I stumbled across your site (great, by the way) via Churchweblogs.com looking to learn about TWITTER too!
Oh well, I'll check back. GREAT SITE!
Bless ya!
Janet

[Jeff Vreeland]

I have been using Twitter for about a month now and I have really got hooked on FriendFeed.

It allows me to see the updates from people I am following (mainly my high tech friends and some tech celeb's) as well as follow their other social sites (if they are on FriendFeed, which most are).

If you have friends that are on Twitter (and they use it), it can be quite a trip to follow them and keep up with them.

Again though, this is all contingent on the fact that you would have friends (or people) that you would like to keep up with.

[Terrace Crawford]

Twitter is not for everybody but it is a neat tool, for sure. You can use it to push people to your blog (with Twitfeed) by announcing your latest blog post to using it like an Instant Message service to post a prayer request, mention what you are doing or make someone laugh with a quick joke. The possibilites are endless. Again, its not for everyone but I like using it for networking.

[Chris Baker]

I've communicated with fellow Flickr Lab members that belong to the Church Marketing Sucks CFCC lab. Talked about life, current projects, help, sharing resources, etc.

[Noel Heikkinen]

I primarily use it to update my Facebook profile at this time. I have developed a system where I only have to update a few things and it updates all my different social networking sites. I have so many people from my church who are into the different sites that this is an easy way to keep up with them all.

[Jason Curlee]

Here are the uses I have used or experienced:
1) I update my blog posts there with twitterfeed.com
2) I read what others are doing
3) I can ask questions to my friends in a mini-blog and get responses
4) I have it locked into my facebook so when I twitter it updates my facebook status
5) You can interact with friends through a conversation
6) Be more random than you would be on your blog
7) Post short prayer requests
8) Put a live feed to it up on your blog to make your blog more interact which you already do.
9) You can watch even more of the insane life of Carlos Whitaker.

[Clayton Bell]

I use it in the way that everyone does here, though I usually manually post my blog posts because I don't do all of them. I've met great people, used it as an RSS feed and reader, used it as a world-wide chat room/IM program...

It's life-sucking and life-giving. Might be the best networking social network out there, and the best place to shot out random and inane thoughts.

It might just be TOO powerful. I will say, it's not for everyone, but I really appreciate those who use it for more than just blog posts, because we're in a real conversation with the "@" feature.

I've been commenting too long. Gotta get back to Twittering!

[Matt Payne]

I think Twitter is great in building and maintaining a network. Facebook has been cool to touch base with old college friends but so far it has been pretty basic--like where are you and what are you doing now. Twitter allows me to actually get to know what's going on in their lives. I have also started to dialogue with people from Portland and even around the country--although mostly tech people. Who knows where that might lead.

I asked those following me on Twitter what they thought the benefits were. I included your @daveferguson so check your replies at twitter.com.

[Henry Judy]

I have a new website for my blog....

www.henryjudy.com

click the link and resubscribe by clicking the subscribe button on top of right hand column.

Thanks
Henry

[evan]

1. stay connected to my close friends. i always know what they are doing, and they know what i'm doing. I tweet what i'm doing thru out the day.

2. promote my blog. I follow a ton of people and have a ton of followers. so when i blog, i post tweet it for others.

3. part of a global community. learn and interact with people all over the world. i log on to twitter.com to interact with those tweeting.

my twitter
http://www.twitter.com/mufan96

[Greg Atkinson]

I have found it's a great way to get to know some of the behind-the-scenes of different Church leaders' lives (as much as they let you). It's also a great way to hear about new tools or ministry ideas, as people come across them.

[Matt Sweetman]

Dave, I follow your Twitter for research purposes, I am doing a church planting internship and so I'm trying to following different church leaders, I also follow Driscoll. I have done the following things so that friends and family back in the UK can follow me:

1) Linked my Twitter to my Facebook status, so that they are the same and non-twitterites can still keep up with me.
2) Installed TwitterFox, a Firefox add-on, that pops up other peoples Twitters and allows me to quickly Twitter without opening the website, or having to use a text message.
3) I am considering using a track feature that allows you to monitor public posts about various subjects. Read more here: http://blog.twitter.com/2007/09/tracking-twitter.html

I'm sorry Memphis lost last night!

[Rod Kaya]

Ironically I started using Twitter because of your blog. I noticed that you had these twiter updates on your front page. So for about two months now I have been using it.

Primaril

[Rod Kaya]

Continuation from the previous comment posted prematurely
Here are main uses :

1. As fun way to keep in touch in with friends.
2. during the services on the weekends a way letting different team members who are spread across the campus know how I am being affected by the service in real time.
3. A way to update my facebook