meish dot org: life, unfolding

As everybody’s network grows, does Twitter run the risk of becoming less and less relevant to individual users?

When my network was just 5 people, I could craft my Twitters in a way that was pertinent (or at least, contextually relevant) to all of them. As my network has expanded along with everyone else’s:

a) I find myself wanting to push out different status updates to different people (or different groups of people) – this is where granular permissions would be handy and

b) I find other people’s updates to be less relevant, especially the ones which reply to others publicly. In a network of five, that person using Twitter to reply “out loud” to other people’s ponderings is a bit annoying, but when the input they are receiving multiplies, so do their responses. Irritation is exponential.

c) I’ve also noticed people using Twitter in a new way – as an APB. “I’m in [district] for a couple of hours. Does anyone want to meet for coffee?” or “Jubilee line b0rked again. Avoid.” In this way, it becomes less of a series of personal statements (“I am eating a cheese sandwich.”) and more of a private information sharing platform. I wonder whether this is at least in part because people don’t necessarily want to share personal status updates with a network which (even if closed) can contain work colleagues, significant others, friends, your boss, web acquaintances and some bloke from down the pub.

Plus, a handy byproduct of having Twitter attuned to my GTalk (GMail) account is that when I go offline, the various Twitter updates from my network get pumped into an email until I sign on again. Which is handy.

I’ve also been thinking about whether it would be possible (or even desirable) to deliver a narrative over Twitter, in much the same as the Pepys Diary project is being serialised in blog format most effectively. People could tune in to follow a story as it unfolds, via short updates.

I’m not suggesting that this is a resurrection of Online Caroline or The Spot: I’m thinking that there must be a piece of literature or drama (or film?) which is suited to this form, or which can be adapted to it…..[thinking]

The Blair Twit Project – Blair Witch, Twitter Style

HeatherD: Heading out to shoot some footage for the doc with Josh & Michael.
HeatherD: Met two fishermen. Weird stories.
HeatherD: Camping at Coffin Rock. Mike won’t stop farting. Asshole.
HeatherD: Josh woken in the night by cackling [?] I think maybe too much macaroni cheese. Or Mike farting. Again.
HeatherD: Heading for graveyard.
HeatherD: Nearly tripped over pile of damn rocks. Could have sprained an ankle. Careless, leaving them out here where someone could trip.
HeatherD: Hmm. Think someone’s following us. Going to head back to the car.
HeatherD: Bit lost. The trouble with woods is that it all looks the same after a bit: all hanging twigs and stuff.
HeatherD: MIKE THREW AWAY THE MAP! Asshole.
HeatherD: Dark out here. Something’s trying to get into the tent. Bit scared.
HeatherD: Got back to the campsite in the morning and found slime everywhere. Eugh.
HeatherD: Going to bitchslap Mike if he doesn’t shut up about my filming. Its a documentary, you ass.
HeatherD: Dammit, lost again.
HeatherD: Josh is being mean to me. I want to go home.
HeatherD: Hungry & sewing up Mike’s jeans.
HeatherD: Josh gone walkabout. WTF?
HeatherD: Still no Josh. We’re heading off.
HeatherD: Stopping for the night. @Josh where are you?
HeatherD: Kept awake by Josh screaming somewhere in the dark. FFS. Cranky.
HeatherD: Presents! But it’s not my birthday.
HeatherD: Eugh.
HeatherD: Really Hungry. Mike’s eating foliage. It’s no caesar salad, that’s for sure.
HeatherD: @Mom: I love you
HeatherD: @Josh, Mike: Really sorry. I’m such an idiot.
HeatherD: Can hear noises coming from a house. Going to investigate…

I wonder what else might work…Pride and Prejudice, maybe?