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Demi Moore Saves Suicidal Woman’s Life Via Twitter

Amanda — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:15:43 +0000

Today, Demi Moore helped to save a suicidal woman via Twitter.

For the few of you who don’t already know, Twitter is a social network in which users can follow updates on friends, celebrities, and strangers alike. Some well known users include Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tina Fey, Perez Hilton, and Satan, who answer the age old question, “What are you doing?”. Users are invited to twitter about details of their everyday life, updating profiles to share how a waxing appointment went, what kind of cigarettes they bought at the bodega or who they’re having lunch with.

A distressed woman, known on Twitter as Sandieguy, chose to update her followers with her suicide plans. After a long series of updates such as, “hurting”, “does anyone care?”, and “thinking about killing myself”, Sandiguy sent a message to Moore which read, “getting a knife, a big one that is sharp. Going to cut my arm down the whole arm so it doesn’t waste time”.

Out of 383,047 followers, Moore saw Sandieguy’s message and responded by saying, “hope you are joking”, and later added “Everyone I was very torn about responding or retweeting that woman’s post but felt uncomfortable just letting it go”.

Moore’s update sparked concern as her followers flooded the San Jose Police Department reporting SandieGuy’s threat. When police intervened they found SandieGuy unharmed. Moore later wrote, “Today is a prime example of the power of collective consciousness and our incredible ability to create change when we come together!”

I’m Torn: Twitter

Brithny - Duke University — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:00:54 +0000

[Life isn’t black and white. As much as we wish we simply loved or hated things, there is often that whole annoying gray area in the middle. Like, we hate getting up for early morning classes, but we love being done by 11. Or, we love how Spanx make us look, but hate how sweaty we get putting them on... Damn you, gray area; you make decision-making that much more complicated!

There are so many difficult choices in life (do we love or hate high heels??), so we thought we’d sort through ‘em right here. Every week we will discuss another issue we are torn up about. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section!]

So, we now all know what Twitter is. I can guarantee that you either Twitter yourself, have a friend who Twitters, or know a celebrity that Twitters (and creepily internet-stalk them).

Since its launch in 2006, Twitter has gained roughly 5 million users, coming in 3rd in the social network sites, with 2nd going to MySpace and 1st place to Facebook. It’s actually kind of like the status updates on Facebook, without all the wall posts and bumper stickers (and those annoying pokes). But sometimes I do miss a good laugh at a not-so-attractive FB picture (*untagging now), and a friendly poke now and then isn’t so bad. So Twitter: I’m torn.

Love it:

I do quite like Twitter, because just like FB, it’s a great social networking site that allows you to keep in touch with friends. But more than that, it allows me to take a peak into the lives of some of my favorite celebs and, in a sense, live vicariously through them (which helps me when I’m studying in the library and wishing my life were as thrilling as Britney’s with an ‘e’).

Ever heard of the KISS principle? Well, Keep It Simple Silly is just what the founders of Twitter had in mind when they thought of the easy user interface and simple instructions for beginners to the blogging world (even my great aunt uses it – that should say something). Speaking of simplicity, I absolutely LOVE the 140-word limit; say goodbye to those annoying paragraph status-updaters who feel the need to give every intricate detail about what is going on in their lives and their pets’ lives. This space limitation has led to an interesting new language of “Twitterverse,” which is totally better than the over-used “ROFL” (or, in my brother’s case, “ROFLEW”- rolling on floor laughing eating waffles). It definitely deserves its own dictionary.

And Twitter even has loads of fun applications you can add to make your Twittertime even better, like Twitpic, Twitterific, and Tweetie, and you can even hook your phone up to Twitter on-the-go. Now that’s what I call Twe-riffic.

Loathe it:

Those annoying people who have those long status updates on FB now have another place to annoy the world. Now half of your mini-feed consists of everything this particular ‘Thwumb” did every 5 seconds. Freaking Twitterati. Do we really need to know you’ve rediscovered your love for Backstreet Boys?

I also really don’t like the fact that we have no control over who “twadds”/follows us; it’s a bit creepy if you think about it. I mean, it’s cool and all that Obama twadded me, but my friend’s mom – not so much. And sometimes I miss all those unnecessary apps on FB, like Kick-ups and Scramble, not to mention the usefulness of FB for internet-stalking that cutie in your psychology class. A 140-worded insight can only get you so far. Sigh.

An unfortunate similarity to FB is that Twitter can get wayyy too addicting. As in not-doing-your-homework-and-just-surfing-through-random-tweets addicting. I myself am a self-diagnosed Tweetaholic, which is definitely not a good thing.

So, I love it and I hate it. And I just told that very fact to all of my followers.
What about you? Are you a Tweeter? (Yeah? Well, follow us on Twitter!)

Twit or Tweet: To Twitter Or Not To Twitter?

CC Staff — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:39:37 +0000

Let’s talk about Twitter: To have a Twitter, or not to have one? To use it, or not to use it? And most importantly, how do you use a Twitter?

It seems like everyone’s all atwitter about, well, Twitter these days. Started in 2006, Twitter is a “micro-blogging” service where users post status updates (called Tweets) that are limited to 140 characters, which answer the question, “What are you doing?” You can also add friends on Twitter by “following” their feeds.

But while you may be thinking, “only status updates? Just 140 characters? Why would people care what I’m doing 400 times a day? I already have a Facebook, thanks,” don’t dismiss Twitter just yet. As a matter of fact, its beauty is in its simplicity.

People use Twitter for everything from updating their friends about their whereabouts (“at the airport- Spring Break Cancun here I come!”) to sharing breaking news and reactions to important events. It’s actually become quite a phenomenon among journalists and media-types. Many will post links to fresh news stories or recent articles they’ve written. It’s easy because you can update Twitter from your cell phone (via text message) or instant messanger, so you can post when you’re on the go.

You can also use Twitter to search for buzzworthy topics–just type in a key phrase (like, “Britney Spears”) in the Search bar at the top of the page and you will uncover thousands of up-to-the-second Tweets about Brit’s latest videos, whereabouts, and sightings. Hell, you can even follow Britney herself! Yes, unlike on Facebook (where etiquette advises against friending people you don’t know), it’s socially acceptable to follow the Twitter feeds of celebrities. Celebs, like journalists, are using Twitter as a means of letting their fans know about new tours and singles in a quick and efficient way. Hey, you may end up learning more intimate details about their lives than you ever would have imagined, like how Diddy enjoys tantric sex (and apparently Twitters in the midst)!

Twitter has already sparked Twestivals and Tweetups. You can Twirt with your boy toy, and if you’ve posted a Tweet that is exactly 140 characters, you’ve scored a Twoosh! But the jury is still out deciding whether Twitter is the “next big thing” or not. ( Jon Stewart actually aired a bit this week debating the very idea.)

I was turned on to Twitter almost a year ago by my tech-savvy friend, and to date I have but a couple dozen Tweets to my name. My problem seems to be that I only have two friends who are seriously into Twitter, and since I see them frequently enough, I have no motivation to actually Tweet other than to archive my own whereabouts and feelings. I do enjoy Twitter for its Search function and I follow a couple of key celebrities and organizations, which is useful. As a writer and a young person, I feel obligated to be aware of the trend, particularly if all those cautionary tales about new media revolutionizing journalism do come true.

So now it’s your turn: if you Twitter, tell us why you do and what you like about it! (Oh, and follow us!) If you don’t, why not?