Confessions of a Twitter Addict

Do you Twitter? I confess, I am hooked. Twitter is the first place I go to in the morning and the last place I check before I retire for the night.

To Twitter is to shrink thoughts, information and your life's movements into 140 characters or less. A 'tweet' may be something as mundane as what you are eating for a meal or as compelling as the recent jet crash into the Hudson River.

I tweet, therefore I am.

I most enjoy the constant updating from the news services on Twitter. As a political and current events junkie, this is no surprise. I "follow", or read tweets written by all the major news outlets. I follow everything from CNN and Fox News, Time magazine, reporters from the mainstream tv networks, and international outlets, too. BBC and others abroad bring the world to my lap with updates on my notebook computer.

Recently, Terry Moran, "Nightline" co-anchor, put Twitter to use on board Air Force One as he prepared to interview President Obama. He asked his followers to suggest interview questions and admitted many were good ones. Twitter can be a valuable tool for reporters by using the instant feedback that those connected provide. And, Twitter provides a more personal side of those in the public eye.

Sometimes it's fun to follow the tweets of celebrities, too. I follow comedian Paula Poundstone and tv star cook Paula Deen.

From an article in the Washington Post written by Howard Kurtz: "When that US Airways jet made an emergency landing in the Hudson River in January, Twitter users were providing updates before the New York Times published an online story. Janis Krums, a passenger on a nearby ferry, posted a Twitter photo of the plane in the water that was quickly picked up by major news organizations."

Twitter is used to transmit photos and also to link news stories or blog posts. I use it to let those interested in reading my blog know when a new post has been published. Twitter is a great networking tool.

Tweet on.