When I first signed up for Twitter, I was a little unsure of how to treat it. What’s the difference between Twitter and Facebook, I wondered? Do I really need another social networking site? I was already weaning off of myspace slowly.
Then I realized the value Twitter has regarding people I don’t know: people that have common interests, common careers, common views and it’s a great way to make friends from all over!
That said, I’ve basically divided Facebook and Twitter this way: Facebook is for real-life friends, Twitter for those I don’t know in real life. Of course, there is crossover – not many of my real-life friends are even on Twitter (yet!); maybe only 7 or 8, and we do follow each other. And as I’ve grown closer to some of my Twitter friends, we’ve become Facebook friends; 7 or 8 there too.
So, out of 250 Facebook friends and 200ish Twitter friends, there are about 15 that I talk to via both Twitter and Facebook.
So when Chris told me about a new Facebook plugin that takes your Twitter messages (called Tweets) and posts them as your Facebook status, I decided to give it a shot. So every time I write something in Twitter, it posts it as my Facebook status (the exception is if I’m replying to a specific person, so Facebook doesn’t pick up on something mid-conversation.)
A couple of nights ago I twittered something about Twitter, which was automatically updated to Facebook (I could have deleted it, but I wasn’t too worried about it.) My (real-life) friend Jason commented on my Facebook status: “Get your social networking sites straight. This is Facebook.” I explained I was using the application, and once he understood that Facebook doesn’t actually post when you are conversing with someone, then it seemed ok to him – although he said he still preferred to keep them separate.
Then tonight, my very-talented-comic-strip creator Twitter friend (and Facebook friend) Michael Twittered this: “Having synchronous tweets and Facebook status essentially makes me choose to ignore you on one or both. Differentiate folks.”
Hmm. I get it. I don’t want to read people’s status’ twice. However, for me, there’s so little crossover between the two groups, I have to wonder: Is it better to keep it separate for the 15 people that are looking at both, or is it not a big deal since 235ish people are seeing what I’m saying only once?
So I ask you: What do you think? I’m not sold on keeping the Twitter application; I’ve only had it a few days. I have rather enjoyed the Facebook attention it’s getting, though, and to be honest, I’d been a little neglectful of Facebook in recent days because Twitter has been taking more of my attention. So I fear without the plug-in, Facebook will get much less love. But is it better to have a lot of recycled love or a little bit of original love?
I tried the twitter app on facebook and hated it. I removed it within the day. Here’s the big thing for me…I twitter way too much for Facebook. People don’t check Facebook nearly as often as Twitter so many of my small updates on Twitter just look stupid to some people on Facebook checking in once a day. I also didn’t like how it crowded up my wall on Facebook.
Also, I found my voice was different on Twitter. I specifically remember commenting (negatively) on Michelle Obama’s gloves on inauguration day and it was well-received on Twitter but on Facebook, I just looked snobby. I think things are taken differently between the two apps. In some cases, Twitter is used as the one place to complain and voice those negative thoughts you just can’t say anywhere else where Facebook status is more literally taken as what people are doing. Which I guess is odd since Twitter was created to answer the What are you doing question. I don’t know, that’s just me though. People use both of them in different ways.
As for reading statuses in both places, I ignore status updates in Facebook for those I’m following in both places. Doesn’t really bother me though.
Last blog post from Amy – Victim of OCD
Personally, I love the integration. I’ve been using the plug-in for probably over a year now. I’m too lazy to update both sites, so I just let my stats change based on my Tweets. If people have a problem with that then they can choose to ignore me on one or both programs — their prerogative. And to be quite frank, if someone’s going to let something as small as that bother them then I’m just as happy to know that they’re ignoring me now.
I don’t see the issue with it, and I’ve actually never had anyone comment on it. It’s almost like they don’t even notice it’s going on. But maybe my friends are just utterly oblivious. Most of them don’t have twitter and don’t care about twitter. I have a few cross-overs as you do.
Main reason that I started using the plug-in is because my work blocks Facebook for the most part but they don’t block twitter (weird). So syncing the two was a way for my friends who are addicted to Facebook to keep up with me. Social Networks are kind of outlawed in my house after business hours since my hubby hates all computer usage and will ridicule me. No Facebook at work and at home means that I only have stolen moments in the car on my iPhone!
Last blog post from Whitney – Loudoun County Dog Licenses – Confusing Changes
I personally don’t have Twitter but I think I would if I had a phone that was capable of using it. To me, it’s just not as much fun to have if you’re not able to use it “on the go”. Maybe I have it wrong, but that’s just my impression. To me, I think your friend Michael has it right, I don’t want to read the same thing twice. It’s kind of like when people first started to switch over to Facebook from Myspace…do you post the same pictures to both places? Do you have the same status on both? If you leave a comment on someone’s wall, do they need the same on their page? I say either keep them separate totally, or get rid of one or the other. I still have both Myspace and Facebook because I have a few friends that only use one or the other, but I would be fine with just Facebook. If I finally do get Twitter, I would probably feel like Amy in that I would update it way more than my Facebook friends would need or want to see. Ah technology…it’s made stalking legal and actually appreciated!
Last blog post from Lindsey – Where oh where do we go?!
Love the sync’ng. I’d hate to have to keep up in two places (or more) with different statuses. I also use Ping.FM and SocialThing to post to different networks.
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I like what Amy had to say. In more words she said what I was trying to say originally. The audiences are different, so the speaker must adapt.
Melissa, like you, Facebook is much more about real people I know or at least the interesting fake people I want to get to know. So here was my solution:
Segregate by default. Yes it is more work, but it is more meaningful to your audiences and ultimately yourself.
Selectively synchronize with Ping.fm. This tool lets you selectively update once across multiple social platforms.
( For the record, my original tweet wasn’t aimed at you individually. I have half a dozen or so similar Twitter/Facebook overlaps that use the same synchronization. )
Last blog post from Michael – The Most Effectual Top Cat
I’m not on Facebook or MySpace, so Twitter is my only way to get your updates.
If we meet in real life – something that should happen, I think, someday – and I’m still not on Facebook, will that create some weird vortex in your social networking continuum?
Last blog post from Elwood – Toy Story 43: Breaking the Fourth Doll
I do the same thing. I’ve pissed a few people off, but really who cares right? I’m doing it purely for the social networking…ness of it. I haven’t been checking Facebook much anymore anyways. I was talking to @smashadv about this the other day in fact, how Facebook will die a slow death. Twitter’s usage blew up 600% this year and is by far the next big social networking thing. Chi.mp is pretty cool too, although it’s different and still in beta. I’ll keep Facebook for the friends and family, but I rarely hang there anymore.
Last blog post from Chris – Granola bars, Nuclear bombs and…sex
I’m not a big fan of Facebook. Too cluttered, to app-happy, and too many requests for a million things to cheer for, root for, attend, or support.
Twitter, on the other hand, is easy – clean -useful…I love it. Of course none of my dislike of FB kept me from having a page there…hmmmm… Not integrated currently because I almost never use Facebook…
Last blog post from David Niall Wilson – Wow! That’s Great…but What About Me?
[...] Several months ago I started updating my Facebook status automatically based on what I was typing into Twitter. I figured, if I’m updating a status based on me and my life, then my Facebook friends and my Twitter friends could both get the same information, right? [...]