Monster Commute – a Traffic Novel

Maybe you’ve heard of Twitter, maybe not.

It’s defined as a “micro-blogging platform” but really it’s more than that. Sure, you post 140 character “tweets” and define your own network of “friends.” But there’s more to it than just that.

Here’s what I like about Twitter:

1. I’ve made friends through Twitter, and now I can chat with them every day. It’s easier than email, because they’re all there, doing their thing. Sometimes, ya, they say what they had for breakfast. Other times, they’re asking for help/advice or cracking jokes. It’s pretty great, once you find/build your own community.
2. I get help on Twitter. If I need a recommendation for a movie/software/iphone app/life, people willingly step in to give a hand. I like that, and it’s saved me a bunch of time when I was stuck at the airport with flight cancellations and no interwebs. Friends stepped in to help.
3. The noise to quality ratio is not bad yet. That’s what killed MySpace, and I hope that the people driving Twitter don’t let it happen there too.
4. Twitter gives me a way to let people know when I post fresh, new comics. I think of it as a daily reminder, and currently, Twitter is my #3 source of traffic… so I know that it works.
5. I can stay connected with my friend/fans, and it gives them a great way to give me feedback. It’s been pretty great, so far.
6. I have accounts for Beastio and Chadworth, so you can see what they’re thinking about what’s going on in the comic. I do it every couple of days for each of them.
7. I can follow interesting people and see what they’re up to. Neil Gaiman, Wil Wheaton, Scott Kurtz, and folks like that.
8. I use Twitter to keep TINY ARMY, my illustration group connected and informed.
9. I can use Twitter to give special “behind the scenes” information about what I’m working on, and what’s coming up.
10. I’ve used Twitter for specials and sales in my store.
11. There are a lot of other services that surround Twitter. There are tools to track your followers, compare avatars, search for specific terms, help you post, schedule your posts, and make Twitter easier to use. Heck, there’s new stuff just about every week.
12. It’s like Facebook, but stripped down to it’s most essential part – connecting with others.

Follow me on Twitter:

@steamcrow
@beastio
@chadworth
@tinyarmy

- Daniel