Twitter: Applications and Websites

(Note: I wrote this back in December and never posted it. Some of the information might be outdated.)

I've noticed a lot of people have been asking what the benefits are of using a Twitter application on your desktop instead of just twittering* on the website itself. Have no fear, reinix is here! I'll tell you from personal experience the pros and cons of using Twitter.com versus desktop applications, as well as other websites.

First off, let me explain what each of them is. Twitter.com is the original website where you can post your updates, as well as reading others. A Twitter application is one which you can install on your desktop and not have to open a browser to use (e.g. TweetDeck, Seesmic, Thwirl). I'm not sure what to name the next, but there are also other websites in which you can use Twitter instead of logging in through twitter.com (e.g. Seesmic Web, Brizzly).

Twitter.com
Pros - It's really simple to use. You just log in and then you're free to read tweets and easily post your own by typing your update in the text box at the top. On the left-hand side bar you have your basic services that twitter has to offer: @replies, direct messages, retweets, lists, trending topics, and of course the handy dandy search bar. Pretty straightforward. You just click one and it lets you see whatever it is you clicked. It's also pretty cool that if you leave the homepage window open (after you have signed in), the the tweet feed always refreshes itself when someone posts an update.
Cons - If you have a lot of followers or follow a lot of users, clicking through each thing can get annoying. Some people may gave enough followers sending them @replies and retweeting them that they can easily miss tweets from people they actually talk to. The thing about the internet today is that people want to see everything in an instant, without having to click through links.

Desktop Applications for Twitter
Pros - They only require a just a one-time install, and you can set them up to open when you turn on your computer. The bigger ones, like TweetDeck and Seesmic, pretty much have the potential to do everything you could possibly want to do on Twitter. They're organized in columns that let you see everything (your timeline, @replies, and direct messages) at once. You can even integrate your Twitter lists into separate columns so you're able to read only updates from certain groups of people. And of course, it gives you the option to send @replies, retweet posts, send direct messages, add tweets to your favorites, and the rest of the basic functions of Twitter.
Cons - Twitter has a limit in the amount of times you can request information for them. At the moment, the limit is 150 times per hour. Because of this, those who follow a lot of people or browse through the app a lot to look through profiles and whatnot often exceed their rate limit. This means that once you have reached 150 requests, you have to wait 'til the hour is over in order to receive updates on time.

Websites Integrated With Twitter
Pros - You don't have to install software, and they are accessible anywhere with an internet connection. Customizable layouts.
Cons - Just like desktop apps, there are limits to the API. Sometimes services try to avoid it by only showing you a few tweets. It gets annoying.

Smartphone Applications
Err... right now I'm stuck with a simple messaging phone on which I can only use Twitter Mobile. If/when I get a better phone, I'll do a review on my favorite apps or whatever. There's a lot to choose from, especially for iPhone users.

*When I say "twittering," I mean using Twitter in general to read and post updates (and/or lurk people you are interested in ;]). I am aware that the term for posting updates is "tweeting." I will use it when it applies.

I can expand more on all of this, but I decided to just give you guys the basics. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments below :)

The Importance of Feedback

Remember April 30, when I said I'd post a blog regularly every five days? Obviously, I failed in that regard. I realized how hard it is to actually find time to blog and topics to blog about. Especially last month, since I was attempting vlogging every day, and had a bunch of exams and assignments for whatever reason. I also realized the other day that YouTube takes up a lot of my time. Despite the fact that I hardly post videos on my personal channel, I make at least two videos a week; one for WTVlog, and one for reinixtonks.

I was legitimately surprised when a few people noticed I hadn't posted a thing since April. I didn't think anyone actually came on here. The lack of comments makes me think no one does. There's something about comments that actually motivates people to put up more content. Sure, anyone can know how many hits their pages get by just looking through the statistics, but they don't really know people stuck around and read what they had to say. And even if people with websites had crazy stalker stats that told them how long others stayed on a page, they don't know what these others thought of the page.

Don't underestimate the importance of feedback, kids. (Okay, this is the first and last time I refer to my readers as "kids." It seems condescending. Also, I'm only 19 years old. Who am I to call others "kids"?) Feedback has a huge influence on how webmasters run their sites and how companies improve their products. There's no way to know people don't like their content (or products) if they don't tell them.

Getting no feedback can be good and bad. On one hand, it tells you that you don't suck enough for others to tell you that you do. On the other, it means people don't like your work enough to tell you they do. It's pretty bittersweet. And while many don't like it when others tell them what to do, the opposite goes for communities on the internet. Those involved in online communities make a lot of their projects for their audiences, not themselves. How are they supposed to know what to give the audiences if they don't tell them? I guess that's one of the things I love about New Media and Web 2.0. (Is that redundant? New Media AND Web 2.0? Nowadays, they seem to be one in the same.) They put a lot of emphasis on feedback, communication, and community building. This really does help websites and communities flourish and become successful.

So next time you visit a site you like or watch a video that makes you laugh, don't be afraid to tell the people that made it how much you enjoy their work. It encourages them to publish more and better content.