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Twitter threatens friendships, marriages

March 21, 2007 › Sandy McMurray | comment

What kind of amazing technology can connect distant acquaintances and destroy marriages at the same time?

Hmm. Come to think of it, a lot of new technology has done this very well. By providing an instant, always-on connection, pagers and cell phones and BlackBerrys (BlackBerries?) have given us new ways to meet friends and ignore our spouses at dinner.

But this item is about Twitter, a new service that connects and destroys more efficiently than ever before.

Here are some key questions and answers, from the Twitter FAQ:

Q: What is Twitter?

A: Twitter is for staying in touch and keeping up with friends no matter where you are or what you're doing. For some friends you might want instant mobile updates - for others, you can just check the web. Invite your friends to Twitter and decide how connected you want you to be.

Q: How does Twitter work?

A: When you send in a mobile text (SMS), Twitter sends it out to your group of friends and posts it to your Twitter page. Your friends might not have phone alerts turned on so they may check your web page instead. Likewise, you receive your friends mobile updates on your phone.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: Twitter is a free service. At some point we may introduce optional, for-pay features or services but basic usage will remain free. Note: with phone alerts turned on, Twitter makes use of texting or SMS so check with your mobile provider to find out if this will cost you extra.

Q: Will this affect my SMS plan?

A: If you have Twitter phone alerts turned on, you could end up texting more than usual. We recommend upgrading to an unlimited texting plan with your mobile provider.

That last bit is very important. If you allow Twitter to talk to your cell phone, you will start to get text messages every time one of your friends sends a Twitter message. This can really add up.

I'm playing with Twitter, and trying not to get hooked. It's a clever system, built on a good idea and a thimble full of new technology.

And it wants to distract you from work and destroy your marriage. Beware.

March 21, 2007 › Sandy McMurray | comment on this item