On Twitter: An Open Letter to Non-Tweeters

By Tanya Snook, on
Dear Non-Tweeter,

First of all, I'm not a "twit". And yes, I've heard that about a hundred times since I joined Twitter 4 years ago.
So, thank you.
That horse is dead.
Please stop beating it.

But before you fill me in on why you would never Tweet and how Twitter is so inane, I'd like you to give me two minutes to explain why you are also a Tweep.
Yes, you.
You who have never logged onto Twitter but prefer to stand way over on the other side of cyberspace and judge us Tweeps.
You who claim to have better things to do with your time than come up with random musings and care about those of others.

I ask: do you?

If you have ever said aloud to anyone within earshot any of the following:
  • You have to see/watch this!
  • Ugh, I need a coffee...
  • Man am I hungry...
  • Have you ever tried (store, restaurant, band, movie) before?
  • I got a great deal on these jeans...
...or muttered any other random thing in the presence of other people, sometimes solicited, sometimes sanctioned, sometimes out of context, sometimes relevant, sometimes willfully, sometimes unintentionally, sometimes ignored, sometimes responded to, sometimes acted upon...

You, my friend, have Tweeted.
The only difference is that I wrote it down.

I wrote it down and I shared it with ~4000 people. And they did the same back to me. And among all of those musings and random things we said to each other, we also:
  • exchanged articles and videos that entertained and informed us
  • asked each other questions
  • gave each other advice
  • connected and reconnected 
  • arranged to meet in person
  • shared parts of our lives
  • interviewed or collaborated on new projects
  • exchanged ideas
  • debated
All the same things you have done in person, on the phone and maybe even in letters with your friends, family, coworkers, acquaintances, maybe even the person at the coffee shop who serves you your morning cup.

The only difference is that I wrote it down.

So the next time you open your mouth to declare that it's cold or that you read something interesting or that you ate such a great meal last night or that I need to try a new wine, please go ahead.
I want to hear all of it.
I want you to share in the same way that I share and am shared with by my Twitter friends.
Tell me your stories and I'll tell you mine.
Online or offline, it's all the same.
The only difference between us is that you said it out loud and I wrote it down.

-spydey