But… dare I say it… I think I’ve gone off Instagram. I’ve run full-pelt back into the arms of Twitter (who I think has forgiven me for my indiscretion), ready for witty tweets, pithy points of view, clever wordplay, inside jokes, links to fascinating/enlightening/mindlessly hilarious articles, and the occasional celebrity meltdown.
Once upon a time, Twitter was my only source of the news in the outside world. We didn’t have a TV (and when we did, I couldn’t be assed watching it), so I learned of Kevin Rudd’s downfall, kept informed with the various earthquake/flood/cyclone goings-on, watched news break, and people react. It was unrivalled in its information, and the quick wit of the people reading it. Instagram has lost its lustre (and I lost everyone who posted incessant selfies or 55 photos a day, that “unfollow” button has saved my sanity on more than one occasion) a little bit, I think. But it’s not you, it’s me.
I’ve been asked lately if people should bother with twitter, because all they seem to see is bloggers tweeting links to their stuff, or people navel-gazing about their mental health. I think if you follow people who interest you, and you participate as part of the community, Twitter can be invaluable. As a blogger, I can’t even begin to tell you how useful it’s been for me. It’s usually one of my biggest tips for beginner bloggers, and it’s the one they all ignore the most. But it all comes down to the people you follow… so without further ado, here are people I love:
Does pubic hair interfere with hygiene? Would it be more hygienic to get rid of it? @EllenRead3 @SkriBlerLenZ 1)Not really 2)Not really
— Dr Karl (@DoctorKarl) July 20, 2014
Dr Karl is an absolute legend. Tweets super-interesting studies, science stories, and answers your science questions (he gets to most of them, too!). I’ve asked him everything about whether anti-perspirant deodorant is toxic (no) and if sugar really is that bad (no).
Was just psychoanalysed by a store person. I only came in to get a belt. — Rick Morton (@SquigglyRick) July 19, 2014
Rick Morton is one of my most favourite people on Earth. He consistently has one of the most interesting Twitter feeds I’ve ever come across. He always shares interesting articles, long-form journalism pieces, LOLcats, breaking news, insider political/news info (he works at The Australian), gay issues, amusing musings, and the most entertaining #qanda tweets.
People who store potato crisps in the fridge and then consume the cold crisps like what the fuck do you think you are doing
— Cook Suck (@CookSuck) July 13, 2014
Cook Suck is my favourite food blogger. He hates everyone and everything (probably except beer) and delivers food-photo smackdowns with an acid tongue. And probably acid.
and presented without comment, good shit:
News
Crikey, Mark Colvin (he should be filed under “interesting”, too), Vice News, QandA, New York Times, The Converstaion, Guardian Australia, Time Magazine, This could go on all day, (maybe just go here and see my list) I follow all the news outlets, although some make me want to punch people.
Funnies
Kevin Rudd 2000, Michael Beveridge, Rob Delaney, First Dog on Moon, God, Brocklesnitch, Mr Roberts DTD, Jo Thornely, Lexi T, Doctor Triple J, Emma’s Brain, Ricky Gervais, Helen Razer, Hannah Gadsby, Wil Anderson, LOLGOP, bolt comments, Toady From the 90s, Seinfeld Tweets, David Brent, Nick Lucas, Tony Martin, Bill Bailey, Charlie Pickering, Not A Cop, Benjamin Law, Bitches Gotta Eat
Interesting
Stephen Fry, Asher Wolf, Clementine Ford, Daily Life, Amy Remeikis, Stephen King, Insatiable Booksluts, Anna Spargo-Ryan, John Safran, Mike Carlton, Bernard Keane, NASA, Cate Bolt, SawHole, Star Talk Radio, Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Aaaaand I’ve just seen a whole bunch of waffle I think I will be unfollowing. I think everyone’s stopped obsessively checking “Who Unfollowed Me”, so I should be safe.
Who do you love? What’s on your list?
I follow IceT (FinalLevel) – I totally adore Ice T, always have, always will and… he actually replies to Twitter – I’ve actually ‘spoken’ to him! My heart melted!!!!!!
This is the best thing you’ve ever said to me in my whole life!
ohmygawd, are you a fan of Ice T too????? If so, I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ha I’m more an Ice Cube girl, but T is the bomb.
I am a more visual person, I think it is lack of time as twitter moves so fast and I need soothing on social media.. that said I am loving the sound of Rick and Cook Suck as I do adore peeps that say it as it is.. off to follow and endeavour to hop on more often x
I think that’s my thing! I’m NOT visual. I need words.
Kimora Lee followed me on twitter yesterday and I don’t even know what to make of that.
I joined in 2007, as soon as it launched. We were all like, what the fuck is this thing it is ridiculous and will never last. Yeah.
Rick is my favourite. x
Ha I think I felt that way about Instagram.
I have Rhys Muldoon and Jay Lagai’a following me. I’m trying to collect the whole Play School set. I am still getting the hang of twitter but I am a willing student. I dig the pithiness. And while I love Instagram, I just shared my fucking breakfast again because nothing else has happened today.Great list – I think I need to cull a whole lot of noise and replace it with those people.
I have the coolest people pop up and follow me sometimes. Then I get tongue-tied… too MUCH PRESSURE!
I imagine that’s how you felt when I started following you. 😉
You need to cull my noise and replace it with the funny people 😉
Hahahahahaha! Nah, I’ll keep you. You’re the conduit. And you provide the odd smirk here and there.
HERE AND THERE?! *cries*
I’m playing it cool so you don’t guess I’m stalking you.
Twitter: Bringing People Together.
The return of El Nino pattern which could be emerging and take effect
this summer would have an influence on the latest warming trend for the
oceans and if this is the case, it is completely normal.
Dude you make me want to join because I love the pictures, I do really love them, but I’m more of a talker so i should be on twitter shouldn’t I? It’d be another place to follow ( stalk) the peeps I love even if I never say anything ( who am I kidding I never shut up!) even my teenager is on Twitter….Sorry for ignoring you 😉
Oh & I loved Rick Morton when he wrote for Mamamia & then he & Lana left & it all went to shit!
Ha agree
The return of El Nino pattern which could be emerging and take effect
this summer would have an influence on the latest warming trend for the
oceans and if this is the case, it is completely normal.
Stay with the pictures if you love them! It’s not a one or the other type thing.
Nope I’m there now with no idea what I’m doing ha! I figure I’ll give it a go & if it’s not for me no biggie. Nothing lost nothing gained right ?
PRECISELY!
Gosh, this is such perfect timing. I visited my forever dormant Twitter account the other day to realise that despite having made zero tweets I still had one follower. That follower was none other than NAOMI WOLF, one of my all-time heroes. It made me realise I need to get my ass on Twitter but I have no idea how to even get started. It just seems like more noise, and more time I don’t have. Love this article though. The universe keeps pushing me on this issue.
I have all the time in the world for Twitter, because I ditched Instagram and Facebook. Come to the dark side! You belong there.
Ermagawd comprehensive guide which I shall bookmark. Myself I love IG, as you know it’s my social media favourite but I am thinking with some more effort on the Twitterscene I can come to love Twitter also. I turn to it mostly for news, as I know someone somewhere will link to the info that I am seeking and for this it’s very handy but I think I got turned off with all the conversations going on that I couldn’t get in on and shit like drunk tweets or people just aimlessly dribbling shit about their colds or day jobs or whatever. I think I’ll sharpen up my pencil when it comes to Twitter and try my hand at it now. Shanks Mate, x
Just stick to what you love. No-one will see your boobs on The Twitters!
I just follow, I don’t use it for anything else and mostly news, NYtimes and Guardian are faves, can’t see Benjamin Law on your list, he is cute and funny. On the feminist radar, love Van Badham, Clementine Ford and Catherine Deveny. Banksy is brilliant for his links/graffiti, I think you gotta follow @realbanksy, oh and I love @thugkitchen, HuffPost Women, The Monthly
Oh Benjamin! Yeah I forgot to add him!
Thank you so much for including me! Made my day! I always go running back to twitter.. Twitter is my people. Xx
You’re a funny little fucker, and so you can stay.
Once upon a time, Twitter was my only source of the news in the outside world.I do not know when to start, the network has become my way to the outside world, if not the network will be how it looks, really can not imagine.Christian Louboutin outlethttp://www.shoeskonn.com/
Brand clothing,Brand clothing wholesalehttp://www.storecolor.net/
スニーカー通販http://www.spmeno.com/
Yeah I don’t love twitter. I’ve sort of given up on it. I just use it now to share articles that I like. Maybe I should jump back on the bandwagon???
I don’t know, it can probably feel your burning hate for it.
LOL. If I see one more shot of someone’s feet ANYWHERE: ie at the beach/shopping/in front of the TV yada yada with a filter over the top I will scream. Ha. Yay for Twitter!
I think I HAVE screamed.
PS Dave Callan is pretty dang funny too!
Oh my goodness, bless you! I fear I have done absolutely nothing to earn this recommendation and now I am paralysed with tweet-fear. What to say next? Something funny? Something interesting? You’ve done wonders for my anxiety. x (But thank you, you are lovely and so far away).
Haha I had a feeling this would happen. Go forth and be oneself x
I’m a bit hopeless with Twitter. It’s like it happens in the fast lane whereas I’m over in the slow lane trying not to drown! I wish I could follow along and engage more. In contrast, I like that Instagram is static and somewhat timeless although I agree, it can also be a bit excroosh at times. P.S. Sorry about the Bali holidays pics too 🙂 x
Haha bali pics = good // all the green smoothie pics every instagram user ever posts = bad x
Don’t worry Stace, you’ll never find any of those in my feed … ever!
bahahaha probably why I haven’t unfollowed you 😉
God I wish Twitter loved me more. We just don’t get along. But I find it infinitely more interesting than Instagram. Instagram is like what life would look like if you swept away all the interesting stuff and just made people look at bland all day. x
I think I’ve unfollowed most of the bland. I hope.
Follow me on Twitter to get Followers! 🙂
I’m not sure that’s quite how it works…
Oh right…sorry D:!
Gin O’Clock is hilarious!
Noted!
Great post Stacey! I’ll give Rick another vote too!
I don’t love Twitter as much as I did back in the day – except when there is an event on or a TV show and it’s all about the double screening and joining in with what people are saying on the #
For it to really be useful to bloggers I think you need to create lists and have those lists on searches in Tweetdeck or Hootsuite otherwise there is too much noise and it’s difficult to find and get into a good conversation (maybe you should make us a Veggie Mama Awesome Twitter List that we could all follow?!).
As a means of sending readers to a blog, it depends on your blog niche I think. For me, my readers don’t hang out on Twitter, they’re on FB so I spend more time there. Instagram is still my fun thing as I like photography and I’m a visual person.
Oh a list! genius!
Ha ha…I ignored your get on Twitter advice when I was a newbie…and I think I must ignore it again! I just can’t right now. Too fast. Too much. Too witty. I need the soothing balm of chia puddings and bunches of flowers that Instagram provides.
Yep, it’s not for everyone!