7/15    Anyone else think Twitter is incredibly stupid and that people over
        age 40 who use it, Facebook, and who text message incessantly (versus
        a, I dunno, phone call - hate calling someone and getting a text
        back) are trying to recapture lost youth and seem hip in some way?
        My sister-in-law does all of the above, even going so far as to
        text her kid while she is away. I asked if she has called. She
        hasn't, but "R U OK?" is considered checking in with your kid? I
        would be offended if my mom did that. These things have their
        place, but should not supplant traditional interaction in person
        or, if need be, telephone. 1000 Facebook friends and yet no one
        will fly out to visit. What kind of friends are those? People are
        losing sight of what makes a relationship. Twittering that you
        just got your favorite candy is, absent other contact, ridiculous.
        \_ most people I know who use Facebook don't consider a "Facebook
           friend" the same as a real "friend."  So maybe the problem is your
           expectation.  Also nothing reeks of getting old like the fear of
           getting old...
           \_ If a "Facebook friend" isn't a "real friend" then what's the
              point? You are wasting time with your Facebook friends you
              could be spending with real people. However, in my experience
              I see a lot of people stay in contact with "real friends"
              via Facebook. However, it's not meaningful contact.
              \_ settle down there tiger.  I have tons of real friends.  I just
                 have more "friends" on Facebook.  And people who do a lot of
                 Facebooking (that I know anyway) definitely do something
                 similar.  It's just a communication medium, it doesn't have
                 to "mean" one and only one thing for all people.
              \_ Orkut gets around this problem by allowing you to categorize
                 your friend as acquaintance, friend you never met, close friend,
                 etc etc. Useful for sorting and such.
                 \_ I don't speak portuguese.
                    \_ por que não, estúpido?
                    \_ porja!
        \_ Twitter is the working implementation of newspeak.
           The minitruth released that they upped our char limit to 140!
           Yay oceania!
        \_ Twatter and facebook are just ways to prolong unhealthy
           relationships. Healthy social adults get by without them/use
           them only minimally.
           \_ The kids are all right.
              \_ The kids ain't allright.
        \_ If you take out the 'unhealthy' part, you've got it right IMO.
           --facebooker
           \_ addict.
        \_ My job is in Internet media, so I need to stay on top of this stuff.
           Having said that, I think facebook is marginally useful and mostly
           a time waster, and twitter is entirely useless.
           \_ twitter is stupid and I don't understand why anyone over
              18 years old would actually find it useful. Either that or the
              over 18 year old person is most likely immature and/or trying
              to fit in with the crowd or just like to waste time. Having that
              said, FriendFeed is much more powerful than Twitter and is
              somewhat functional.