Okay, Twitter, you win

For the longest time I have been avoiding Twitter.  I set up an account about a year ago and simply never saw the point.  Those of you who are unfamiliar with Twitter should just know that it's a micro-blogging platform (140 chars or less in a post) where you simply answer the question, "What are you doing?"  I know...it sounds really really stupid.

But now that I've taken the time to set up my profile and actually "follow" some other people, I absolutely love it.  How did I live without this?  Let me explain further.

I did a few searches for other development firms or companies whose applications I use frequently (FreshBooks, 37Signals, FreelanceSwitch, etc) and added them to my "Follow" list.  In turn, a few people have started following me as well.  Now when I log in to my Twitter account I can see the recent "Tweets" for each of people I am following.  I can even send them reply Tweets if they are asking questions or talking about something I'm interested in.

Still sounds stupid doesn't it?

It's not!  Trust me!  Because here is the thing that's great:  By following individuals in the same general profession as myself, I am able to keep up with the latest and greatest talk in the "biz."  I can now keep up with the newest Web 2.0 apps, programming platforms, design standards, etc without even putting much effort into it.

What has made it SUPER easy is the TwitterFox plugin I set up in my Firefox browser.  Now as I'm in front of my PC during the day, I can update my status easily, and other people's Tweets come across the bottom of my screen as they are posted.  It's incredible: I feel well-informed without even really thinking.  And that's what we all strive for, right?!  :-)

So if you are looking into Twitter, be sure to follow me at http://twitter.com/daveyank  I apologize in advance if following me is a complete bore, but try to find people with similar interests or professions as you and you'll love it.  It's a great way to publicize your company and stay informed with the concerns of your client-base.