The Twitter Zeitgeist

I'm a Twitter junkie. There's something about 140 characters that I find so wonderful -- I sometimes find myself in entirely innapropriate situations composing those perfect few words which will convey what I mean in the best way possible. While stuck in traffic (no texting while driving, I swear), I think (often) of the best, wittiest thing you've EVER heard. You will DIE when you read this one. But by the time I pull over, it's no longer funny or even relevant.

Isn't that just the way with Twitter?

I don't use Twitter for big announcements. (Okay, sometimes I do.) I don't use it to complain (very much). I don't use it to be passive-aggessive (well, I did the other night during a domestic argument, but I swear to God it was the first time).

I use it to sound off. I use it to catch up. And more than that, I use it to remain connected to people I really care about. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling -- standing in line at the post office with a few minutes to kill, I can eavesdrop on friends' lives. I can catch up, commiserate, and congratulate with just a few strokes of the phone's keyboard.

And it's that eavesdropping that brings me to this week's word: Zeitgeist. Twitter, for as long as it lasts (LOVE MAY IT LIVE), is a window onto the spirit of today's culture. The trending topics alone show us what the majority of people are thinking about on Twitter. Last week, when the Mehserle trial's verdict was returned, I sat glued to Twitter, feeling comforted as other people were scared, upset, and nervous. I searched #riot to see if anyone was planning anything in my neighborhood (so I could avoid it, not join it). I was with people then, even though I was alone in my house.

And now, I have such a treat for you today. I mean, really. If I'd made you my special seven-layer cookies (which actually only have six layers, because I leave the nuts out, leaving more room for chocolate chips), you would not thank me more for what I'm going to give you right now.

GO HERE.

Twistori only takes a moment to glance at. But watch out: It's compulsively addictive. You will want to sit and watch. I think I could sit in front of it with my knitting and watch for hours. I know I'd learn a lot if I did. Do yourself a favor and click. For just a moment, be immersed in the Twitter Zeitgeist. It's pretty awesome. (Gleaned just a second ago: RAWR means I love you in dinosaur. If you see one that knocks you out, copy and paste it and bring it for us in the comments, mmm?)