Comments on: MicroBugger

By: spgreenlaw

spgreenlaw — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:02:23 +0000

As someone who is fairly far removed from the circles you travel and network in (I’m not an educator, I’m actually a college drop out. I’m not particularly a techie. I do have an interest in both topics, though.) my opinion might not be worth much. I see Twitter as a fairly personal means of expressing the very sort of stream of consciousness that Jason is railing against. The tool seems customized for quick and careless bursts of mental energy whenever they strike. If that’s how you want to use it, I see no reason to stop. It will repel some and attract others. I’ve been quite intrigued by what I’ve seen so far, at least. If the work you are involved in is a big part of your life, and you are passionate about it, that will show in your tweets and should work in your benefit, as far as networking goes. People who share your passions will flock to you, and your connections will grow from a sincere sharing of ideas and impressions. What could be better than that?

By: MsMichetti

MsMichetti — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:41:46 +0000

I agree with previous commenters — and we all use Twitter for different purposes. I like to know there is a human behind the tweets, and what’s personal is what makes us human. Even some of the “big name” edubloggers on Twitter share photos or tidbits with their followers about their kids, dog, and what they ate for dinner. Don’t fuss over it — just be you! I prefer not to limit Twitter in that sense; I have people in my Twitterfeed that are educators, yoga instructors, musicians, writers, and international aid/development workers — all things that I am interested in! It’s good that Jonathan’s post made you think twice, but don’t withhold who you really are – that would be a real shame.

By: diane

diane — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:12:17 +0000

I see myself in your description, as a person who is not a tech innovator or acknowledged education expert.

My blog is very much a mix of professional and personal musings. In fact, I find that the posts that generate positive response are frequently the ones including photos and anecdotes from everyday life.

I like what you do, I like who you are. There’s room for all types in cyber space. Don’t change, just refine.

By: » Selfishly Selfless; Selflessly Selfish or My Responsibility to a Network Bud the Teacher

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:01:27 +0000

[...] I am responsible to myself. I find that people tend to feel “guilt” or “worry” or concern when they choose to act in a way that is useful to them but does not reflect the [...]

By: Pat Parslow

Pat Parslow — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:59:27 +0000

Without the bits of background information a stream of consciousness provides, I find it hard to tell ‘where’ the poster is coming from. ‘Carefully’ selected nuggets of information tend to carry little joy, and I find it hard to be motivated to follow endless streams of links.

Without knowing something about the people you connect with, I think it is hard to know whether to trust their ‘opinions’ even if the opinions are just links to other information sources. Trust is a key element in knowing how to filter incoming information. I also tend to find that the info I find from people who clearly apply output filters to what they present are seldom much more informative than the first couple of pages of a Google search…

By: esl_technocrat

esl_technocrat — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 13:02:37 +0000

I mostly agree with the idea that sometimes a person’s stream of consciousness can be a distraction, but it all depends on who that person is and what they’re talking about. It’s an entirely personal decision, as you point out.

You said that you were a microbugger – but your posts don’t bother me, probably because we have a lot of similarities. For me, not everything has to be a link. I like getting little observations and opinions, or if someone is working through something or thinking out loud, I don’t mind being the thing that the ideas get bounced off of.

So, again, while the original post makes sense, and people should think a little bit about whether or not to post something, they shouldn’t think too hard! Twitter is 140 characters or less, it’s not a big crime to make a useless tweet.