I use both Facebook and Twitter. I enjoy both of them.

Facebook is great for Scrabble (I often have over 20 games going!) and for connecting with people I know. I love seeing photos of old friends. I love connecting with people I’ve not seen in eons. I don’t “friend” anyone and everyone. Some folks seem to have a contest with how many “friends” they have. I’m not into that, and if I don’t really know someone or at least have an oboe connection I don’t “friend” back. (I put the word friend in quotation marks merely because they aren’t all true friends, but more of acquaintances. I might pass them on the street without recognizing them.) I don’t “friend” students, nor will I accept their request for “friending”. When they stop studying with me I then will go ahead and do so, but not while I’m teaching them. I won’t go into the whys of that for now.

Twitter allows me to meet new people with whom I share something in common. On Twitter we don’t “friend”, we “follow”. Or not. You can read what people write without following them at all. You can read what people write without doing much of anything. But most of us follow because we want to keep track of what others are writing about. For me, most often, the commonality is music. I’ve learned a lot. I’ve met some fabulous musicians. I’ve even played in an event because of Twitter! Twitter also allows me to consolidate thoughts into very few words, since we are only allowed 130 characters to express something. Some people think Twitter is silly. Some roll their eyes. But I enjoy it. If you want to find me there (and anyone can) I’m pattyoboe.

Hmmm … didn’t mean for this to be a ramble. Oops!

Recently someone somewhere was asking, “Twitter or Facebook?” And of course I’d say both! But I think I find Twitter to actually be the friendlier place. I’m not sure why.

Erica Anne Sipes, whom I believe I “met” via Twitter, has thoughts on Twitter. Check out what she has to say!