Watercooler: The Next Generation

"Twittah, Twittah, Twittah!" -Zadi Diaz, Epic Fu I went to a meeting the other day and while I was waiting in the lobby a bunch of people started talking about Twitter... so, naturally, I couldn't help but butt in.

When I told them I was on Twitter and that I just Twittered 5 minutes ago from that very location, they preceded to ask question after question...

"What do you Twitter about?" "How many times do you Twitter a day?" "Do you HAVE to follow everyone?"

(It was kind of sweet, actually, because when the executive I was there to meet came down to the lobby I was surrounded by a swarm of Twitter groupies.)

Over the past 2 years, I've been thinking of Twitter mostly as a marketing tool - and part of that is developing an audience WITHOUT marketing, but instead sharing links and anecdotes pertinent to the subject you would normally want to advertise. But, after talking to these n00bs in the lobby about how I use Twitter I realized something deeper... Twitter is my water cooler.

Twitter is the place I go to when I'm not in the headspace to work. The place I go when I need a break. The place I get my news, gossip and information about my friends. And, as someone who works from home, Twitter filled a real gap in my social life (anti-social life?).

Just a thought. /thought.

Above photo courtesy of CC Chapman.