Survival of the Twittest

In a world striving to stay current and connected, many social and business networking sites have seen dramatic spikes in site usage. Not only do social networking sites allow you to stay in contact with others, businesses are now utilizing these sites to promote a product or service through the World Wide Web.

In the face of so many entangled social networks, Twitter, a micro-blogging Web site that updates in real time, has risen above the web.

Many are still unfamiliar with the aspects that separate Twitter from the rest of the social sites out there.

In a nutshell, the Web site is a mini-blog or in even simpler terms, multiple postings of your Facebook status; however, the allure of Twitter is much more. Twitter was born out of a day-long brainstorming session with Chairman Jack Dorsey, CEO Evan Williams and Creative Director Biz Stone. Dorsey, Williams and Stone wanted to create something that would rise above your ordinary text message or status update; this led to the birth of Twitter in 2006.

Since Twitter's inception, it has rapidly become one of the fastest growing social networking sites on the Web to date, followed closely by Zimbio and Facebook.

The original name for the service was TWTTR, inspired by the Flickr and American SMS short code. The company is financed through the fundraising of venture capitalists and is also backed by many prominent venture capital companies such as Union Square Ventures, Digital Garage and Spark Capital. Twitter finds some difficulty in funding because some companies see the site as deficient in longevity. Nevertheless, the Twitter craze has taken hold.

CEOs Damon John of FUBU and Kevin Rose of Digg often "tweet" every few minutes. The interesting thing about Twitter is the real-time updates. "Multiple real-time updates" means the updates are happening in current time whereas other sites only allow you to post one message at a time.

Many prominent celebrities have Twitter accounts. The infamous Tila Tequila is a well-known "twitterer."

Other celebs, such as Michelle Williams, LL Cool J, Diddy and the entire Kardashian family, use Twitter to keep up with famous friends and family members. The Kardashians "tweet" all day and keep up with the daily lives of the individuals in their family. For individuals burdened by distance, Twitter can be a true lifeline to the ones you love.

However, for ECU pirates, Twitter has become a networking phenomenon. Organizations such as Student Pirate Club, the ECU athletics department and our beloved Skip Holtz have accounts that anyone can access. Twitter has even taken hold of some of the ECU staff. Matt Long, a Blackboard administrator, taught a whole class regarding the use of Twitter. Professor James Smith requires his students to sign up for Twitter to receive class updates. Jennifer Rose, an incoming freshman, is excited about the possible connection of Twitter and ECU faculty classes. "It's very cool because if you forget something, your professor can post it on Twitter and you won't miss any assignments. Plus, you can communicate with your professor faster with Twitter because it updates immediately," said Rose.

ECU has truly caught the Twitter bug with multiple departments and faculty beginning to see the benefits of the site. Brittany Williams, a sophomore business major, is looking to Twitter to help fuel the fundraising fire to raise money for AIDS awareness month in December of this year. "Raising money on Twitter is not easy and it isn't just about getting money for a cause I believe in. It's about creating awareness and giving back," Williams stated.

Williams realizes the power that Twitter now holds. Amber alerts, natural disasters and worthy causes are circulated through Twitter before they even hit the news or the Internet. Twitter is an information hub that has yet to be matched by any other social site. "I have found out more about AIDS and AIDS awareness on Twitter than I have anywhere else. I have connected with people who have this disease and I can truly see how it affects their lives every day," said Williams.

Is Twitter the Mecca for promoting your cause and changing the world, or is it just a social trend that has taken the world by storm? Some would say a little of both. Whether you are finding your favorite celebrity, your best friend or promoting a cause, Twitter allows you to stay connected even more than ever.

Greenville itself has set up a Twitter account that allows for all Greenville "tweepeople" to stay connected within the town. The Greenville "tweeters" actually have meet and greets so that you can meet all of the people that participate in following that particular page.

In a digital world, some say sites like this lack personality and the refinement of personal contact; however, those who are not on board with the Twitter revolution may very well get left behind.

Editor's Note: The East Carolinian has also joined Twitter! Sign up to follow TEC at www.twitter/ecunews.

This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.