So Far, So Good...and Bad

It's been a few days since I set up my Bloglines RSS reader to get news from the Washington Post, NY Times, CNN, Politico, Talking Points Memo and a few other sources.  I must have done it right because there they are, all those depressing headlines about the global economy on life support, earthquakes in Italy, pirates off the coast of Somalia, not to mention murder and mayhem in miscellaneous locations throughout the U.S.  I'm getting all the news I want...and wondering whether I really want it after all.

Meanwhile, my Twitter experience has picked up a bit.  I've been getting direct responses from many of the folks I'm following, including a very kind direct message from Ann Curry reassuring me that she only Twitters about Presidential security AFTER the President's plane is clear of all potential danger.  (I was troubled by her Twitter that Air Force One was running without lights as it departed Iraq.)

It is clearer to me now that Twitter's primary function for many of its users is commercial--at least, the ones that I'm following.  Most of their messages include links to their own websites, testimonials from others using their products, etc.  A handful of the users I'm following appear to Twitter more personal business, and I find myself unexpectedly interested in these Tweets. One of the foodie types often Tweets about what she's cooking or baking, and I enjoy reading about her culinary adventures.

Not suprisingly, there's also a lot of discussion on Twitter about new technology, especially those in social media.  It's interesting to get updates on new software and applications that I never would have heard about in my pre-Twitter life--not that I understand half of what I read, but I like the idea of being "in the know," even if it's only theoretically.

Another thing that has become clear to me is the addictive power of Facebook.  No, I have not succumbed to Facebook obsession, but I'm amazed at how many people have.  The grand poobahs of Facebook--the people who run it--have discovered a million little ways to keep people coming back and engaging in the site's activities.   They have dozens of quizzes on everything from what kind of shoes you like to which city you should be living in.  They have colorful little hidden eggs that you can spot and collect.  They have hundreds of different groups you can belong to if you share this or that special interest. 

The funny thing is this: I've hardly left my computer for days, yet I feel like I'm living in the fast lane.  My question to you: is on-line engagement REAL?  If a Twitter falls in the forest and there's nobody there to hear it, does it make a noise?