Do you use Twitter?

Are you familiar with Twitter? If not, it's basically a form of micro-blogging -- using your computer or, more likely, your mobile phone, you send "Tweets" of 140 characters or less to your Twitter account. These "Tweets" can be read by the network of followers you create, or aggregated into a larger search group - for instance, your Tweets can all be sent into the Buffalo search feed by typing a # before the word "Buffalo."

Why use Twitter? It's a way to send little updates about what you are doing throughout the day. If you are stuck in traffic, you can send a Tweet telling your friends to avoid the 1-90. If you are watching a movie and it's just garbage, you can send out a micro-review. If you bowl a perfect game, the world (or your network of friends, anyways) can know instantly.

Some people think this is the ultimate in narciscism. Others think that it is the coolest thing ever. Personally, my opinion is somewhere in between - I don't think the world needs to know every one of my profound thoughts, but it is kind of fun to share a few of them.

Plus, news-gathering organizations are starting to discover the power of Twitter -- the plane that landed on the Hudson a few weeks ago? The first photos to hit the Web were from someone's mobile phone - and were posted on Twitter. For years, reporters have sat around, listening to the police and fire scanners for breaking news - now, savvy reporters are doing the same thing with Twitter feeds.

Anyhow: I think it would be really cool to create a Buffalo.com Twitter group. Everyone could send in Tweets from their events, or just throughout the day...it would be interesting. Plus, it's like an instant survey - need some info, or an idea, or a tip, and you can find it from your network on Twitter. Oh, and there is an existing Buffalo Twitter group - check them out.

A lot of us spend the day in front of a computer...and all of us carry mobile phones. If this is something you would like to do, let me know, and let's get this started. Email me, or leave a note in comments.