So … blogging. It now seems so … ancient. I’ve been blogging for more than four years now. I first heard the term about five years ago. It’s still new to some people but in the technological evolution it’s already antiquated.
Even social networking sites like MySpace are washed up (or as Drew Barrymore’s character in “He’s Just Not That Into You” says, it’s the “new booty call”) and Facebook is transforming into a hybrid of its former self and Twitter.
Yes, Twitter. It’s all the buzz. I’ve been hearing it for months now but I figured it was just the latest technical fad to come and go. Then President Obama gave his first address to Congress and we began to hear the reports about members of Congress embarrassing themselves with tweets from their Blackberrys during the address.
Wait, did I catch that right? Members of Congress are using Twitter?
Then I heard something that scared me even more. John McCain was giving an interview via Twitter. Was this the same John McCain who told us only a few months ago during his presidential campaign that his staff was teaching him how to go online? That same guy? The one who made the previous president’s comments about “the Internets” seem almost intelligent when it comes to technology.
That did it. I had to Twitter.
I actually signed up for a Twitter account back in January before I attempted to go to the president’s inauguration. But I didn’t see the mystique. It was basically a Facebook update and I was already doing that.
But if John McCain was twittering, I had to twitter.
So I downloaded a new Twitter app for my iPhone that gave me a few more features than the free app I had been using. I was pleasantly surprised to see a function that allowed me to see all the tweets within my immediate area. And the function that showed trends — popular tweet subjects — was even more fascinating.
I was able to follow the nation’s reaction to Jon Stewart verbally slaying CNBC’s Jim Cramer on “The Daily Show,” which was almost as entertaining as — and slightly less awkward than — watching the interview itself.
When I heard a few editors at work were considering implementing Twitter like a few other Gannett papers I started to take it more seriously. When the Seattle P.I. announced its conversion to a digital-only product Monday I knew it was an absolute necessity for me to follow this technological revolution as closely as possible.
My industry is dying. The P.I. is the largest paper yet to quit printing a physical product and switch to a digital-only format. I have a feeling more newspapers are headed that way more quickly than I would like. I’ve been nervous about a career in journalism since college — not knowing how the Internet would change journalism. I’ve even more nervous now.
But if I’m on board with Twitter and the groundwork that led to it and whatever will come next I’ll have a better chance of successfully making my way through this emerging digital news industry.
The future of the news industry is here and it’s being delivered in 140 characters or fewer. Look for me under username BrianPassey at Twitter.com.
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