Apart from Don’t touch me on my studio (which I hadn’t seen live because I seldom watch TV) I’ve learned quite a lot from Twitter. Here are 12 of the things I’ve learned from my year and a bit on South Africa’s trendiest social networking site.
1. Twitter has made it much easier for memes to spread. Take #donttouchmeonmystudio (as mentioned above): thanks in large part to Twitter, this bizarre statement by Andre Visagie of the AWB has already become part of folk history. It’s already a feature of ads and tasteless jokes. A day is a verrry long time on Twitter, where some people are already complaining that the whole touch my studio thing is totally overdone and passe.
2. In a not unrelated development, Twitter is being used more and more by journalists as a source. This article on iol.co.za is a case in point. (I think this may be the first time one of my tweets has been quoted in the mainstream media — I tweeted about the tentacles.)
3. Young black South Africans can’t stand Julius Malema. South Africa looks a lot less divided on Twitter than it does in Ventersdorp.
4. Young black South Africans are also incredibly religious. Religious tweets are common, and on Sundays, everyone tweets about going to church. (Whether people actually tweet from church I don’t know.)
5. Grey’s Anatomy is big in South Africa. And Oprah. And also European football.
6. Twitter is the nation talking to itself. The desktop activists, maybe, but it’s a start. In that sense, it’s an incredibly powerful weapon for freedom of expression and democracy.
7. Identities are becoming blurred. I’ve heard of social gatherings where people introduce themselves by their Twitter identities rather than their names. (Hi, I’m @Anatinus.)
8. Anonymity is rare on Twitter, and that’s a good thing. It dramatically improves the standard — and civility — of debate and comment. Compare the comments you see on Twitter to those on news24 or moneyweb.
9. Twitter is a pretty good news source. It’s my first port of call when checking up on what’s been going down in the world. And occasionally, as with the death of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang and the Fishhoek shark attack, you’ll see tweets about events before they reach mainstream media sources.
10. Mainstream media sources are still viewed as the ultimate stamp of credibility. Even if news does break on Twitter, it’s not official until it’s been reported by a mainstream media source. Case in point, the death of Manto Tshabalala-Msimang.
11. Twitter is a brilliant networking tool. If you want to connect with South Africa’s journalists and influencers, it’s a pretty good place to start. My prediction: Twitter is going to become an increasingly important component of PR and media relations strategies — and it may even start replacing conventional PR. (If you’re interested in following the bloody bastard journalist who prompted he-who-shall-not-be-named’s latest outburst, you’ll find him here.)
12. And yes, in many ways, Twitter replicates the school playground. You get your geeks who talk tech, the okes who talk sport, the cool kids (like @khayadlanga), the popular kids (@Anele, for example, and @GarethCliff), the in-jokes and cliques. When you first join, you’ll probably feel intimidated, unless you’re already some sort of celebrity. Stick it out though: it’s worth it.
I’m on 3 598 tweets and counting. Come join in the conversation.
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