When I first signed up for Twitter, I was a little unsure of how to treat it. What’s the difference between Twitter and Facebook, I wondered? Do I really need another social networking site? I was already weaning off of myspace slowly.
Then I realized the value Twitter has regarding people I don’t know: people that have common interests, common careers, common views and it’s a great way to make friends from all over!
That said, I’ve basically divided Facebook and Twitter this way: Facebook is for real-life friends, Twitter for those I don’t know in real life. Of course, there is crossover – not many of my real-life friends are even on Twitter (yet!); maybe only 7 or 8, and we do follow each other. And as I’ve grown closer to some of my Twitter friends, we’ve become Facebook friends; 7 or 8 there too.
So, out of 250 Facebook friends and 200ish Twitter friends, there are about 15 that I talk to via both Twitter and Facebook.
So when Chris told me about a new Facebook plugin that takes your Twitter messages (called Tweets) and posts them as your Facebook status, I decided to give it a shot. So every time I write something in Twitter, it posts it as my Facebook status (the exception is if I’m replying to a specific person, so Facebook doesn’t pick up on something mid-conversation.)
A couple of nights ago I twittered something about Twitter, which was automatically updated to Facebook (I could have deleted it, but I wasn’t too worried about it.) My (real-life) friend Jason commented on my Facebook status: “Get your social networking sites straight. This is Facebook.” I explained I was using the application, and once he understood that Facebook doesn’t actually post when you are conversing with someone, then it seemed ok to him – although he said he still preferred to keep them separate.
Then tonight, my very-talented-comic-strip creator Twitter friend (and Facebook friend) Michael Twittered this: “Having synchronous tweets and Facebook status essentially makes me choose to ignore you on one or both. Differentiate folks.”
Hmm. I get it. I don’t want to read people’s status’ twice. However, for me, there’s so little crossover between the two groups, I have to wonder: Is it better to keep it separate for the 15 people that are looking at both, or is it not a big deal since 235ish people are seeing what I’m saying only once?
So I ask you: What do you think? I’m not sold on keeping the Twitter application; I’ve only had it a few days. I have rather enjoyed the Facebook attention it’s getting, though, and to be honest, I’d been a little neglectful of Facebook in recent days because Twitter has been taking more of my attention. So I fear without the plug-in, Facebook will get much less love. But is it better to have a lot of recycled love or a little bit of original love?