A Gourmantic Affair with Twitter – Part 1: Seduction

Call it tempestuous at the best of times. We are drawn to one another like the earthy and sensual Taurus to the fiery and unpredictable Aries. Passions arise. Tempers flare. Arguments ensue. Then we retreat to our respective naughty corners for a cooling off period.

Twitter has undoubtedly revolutionised online communication and has proven to be a powerful social media tool. But it holds an inherent question that I have often asked before, during and after jumping on the Twitter bandwagon of mass hysteria.

What’s in it for me?

One of my greatest passions is to write. It’s an activity that I have been undertaking for a number of years on a daily basis. It takes priority over other online pursuits. Therefore the lure of a tool that imposes a limit of 140 characters coupled with the delivery of a message to an audience that has the attention span of a sparrow held little appeal.

Once I created my Twitter account and dabbled in the medium, I found myself querying the ROI of the time spent on Twitter to generate readership compared to the time it takes to produce quality content on Gourmantic. The articles here take considerable time to write and prepare for publication particularly when numerous photographs are involved. I was not convinced of the worth. If I wanted to communicate, I could always use email. If people wanted to know when I update my website, they can subscribe to my RSS feed.

So what is the deal?

This is when Twitter dangles the juicy carrot under the guise of connections, networking and sharing.

Call me old school, a Gen X’er or an only child who doesn’t like to share. But when I see Twitter used as an all-day two way conversation, I wonder why these tweeps don’t just chat in private, use email or even pick up the phone. As for the concept of sharing my everyday moves, I have no inclination to share my activities on a public forum.

Because who cares what I had for breakfast?

When one keeps a travel and food site, the irony of this question was not lost on me. I saw tweets that spell out every meal and snack of the day. I have read the minutia of preparing dinner or the process and results of baking of a cake. I have even followed tweets streaming live from top end restaurants and pondered how offended I would be if I were their dining companion.

It all seemed terribly overwhelming and at times overbearing. I love food. I enjoy travel. I am passionate about writing. The tweets came pouring in like a never-ending deluge. Let’s face it, food, just like sex, is best enjoyed in moderation with a few breaks in between and not 24/7.

Next: A Gourmantic Affair with Twitter – Part 2: Relations and A Gourmantic Affair with Twitter – Part 3: Compromise.