Birdfeed Twitter App Review: Lean, Fast And Pretty

@Gothamite88: brilliant. this hypocrisy... is it a '94? Goodness, it's so bitter it hardly even seems like a comment referencing others!

Dallifornia

@scojac: Tweetdeck crashed on me everysingle time I used it. I don't think I ever closed tweetdeck, it just decided I was done using it and kicked me off. It's okay though it just made me go to twitterfon.

@Matt0505: You got about a dozen "viable responses". Much like your attitude about Twitter, you seem to have glossed over the useful information and focused on the negative. Which means you never really wanted to know why people used it, you just wanted to bitch about the site itself.

That's a troll in most circles.

The Springfield Armor Street Team Intern

To me, Twitter is public SMS. It's a way of sharing a brief thought/opinion/link to other people that are interested. And for haters who think it's mundane, it's only mundane if you choose to follow people whose tweets you think are mundane.

@fosphen: You're right, that would drive all the users away. Then people would just shut up and read. And that's no fun to read. ;)

@Greg Krynen: When you leave, does that mean you have twat?

@Shamoononon, Vampire Grater: *now

@imTheKing: I use to twitter, but not I twat her.

@bobojuice: TweetDeck was too much for me as well. I've been really happy with Twitterific though. I find the interface quite simple and it has everything I need it to have (basically what you described). There's a free (with ads) and paid (no ads, multiple account support) version.

@Matt0505: so what is so different about what your doing on here? Your posting on a tech blog about how you don't care what people are doing yet here you are. You strike me as one of the "uber" employees of Geek Squad that just yap, yap, yap without any logical explanation.

imTheKing

As usual, The Onion has the most accurate article on a particular subject matter:

[www.theonion.com]

Oh, and please cut the idiotic "troll" crap. I know that's all many people on the internet can do when they don't have a viable response to a certain topic, but stop embarrassing yourself and start talking like an adult.

Matt0505

@Justinpaulson: Tweetdeck is too much for me. All i need is something to go on and post shit and check out my friends' posts. Mostly i never post anything relevant anyway, just a bunch of useless bullshit. So for me, i just need something simple. this one looks simple and really has a nice clean interface. it is 5 bucks though. DECISIONS...

@digidandy: Well said. Getting sick of every person I come across thinking I'm an idiot for using twitter. It really is a useful thing if you follow the right people.

Just today I found out I wasn't alone amongst my friends. Someone else was using twitter to get updates on wimbledon scores while at work. Bam. That's a useful way to use twitter.

A different way to look at Twitter...
I walk into a bar or mall, conversation going on all around, randomness to the extreme. Each person or group talking about what is important to them or perhaps telling me the world will end soon.
I decide one of those people, a hot brunette that is into tech is someone I want to know. I walk over and say hello (tweet) and she responds back (tweet). We can listen further to each other (follow) or ignore (ignore).Twitter may be the closest thing to a virtual social gathering that I have ever seen.

Greg Krynen

@Matt0505: What other messaging program allows me to send a single message to those I care about and they can get it via the web, an app on a computer, or via text/SMS on their phone?
Or I can send a general update to my sites, Facebook and Twitter, plus any followers devices for a business or political purpose, in one message.
It can also be used to control remote devices via single line commands/scripting.All that from one small 140 character message.

Greg Krynen

@Matt0505: IRAN?

Hey, did you hear that there were massive public protests and then a crazy violent gov't crackdown in Iran? Well, the rest of the world wouldn't have either if Iranians weren't tweeting due to the shut down of non-state media shortly after. Twitter played (and continues to a smaller extent) a huge role in getting pictures and video footage out to the rest of the world.

@SysRq: *sigh* If only...Imagine what that would start though. No "that's been available in [insert OS here] for years" posts. No "My smartphone is better than your iPhone" posts. Then we would have no Gizmodo community.

Wow! Is this TRULY your DEFAULY twitter app? Thats so cool? So, whats your default soda? Candy? Cereal?

Bazooka Ball

@devianaut: What I would like to know is why articles about Twitter apps quickly become about defending Twitter itself. If you don't like Twitter, don't read such articles.

I second Twitterific. I especially like how it merges tweets and directs and replies into one stream so I only have one place to check to see what's new.

ghmlco

@bobojuice: wow, i love tweetdeck. I love that it syncs with my desktop and i like being able to sort groups and save searches, etc. I haven't used a lot of other clients though....i'm sure not paying for one :)

@someToast: The fact that the fool references facebook but bashes twitter is enough to know hes useless.

@sigity: Couldn't agree more. It's always a small group of these anti twitter trolls that come knocking when anything related goes up on giz. The fact that Matt looks like a complete douche in his Avatar is enough for me.

imTheKing

@Matt0505: Man if you don't like it don't use it. No one is holding a gun to your head. And for me twitter isn't about getting my crap out there it's more about seeing what others are putting out there. My favorite is following news feeds, comedians, bands, etc. It's easier to aggregate all of the information into quick little snippets with links rather than a format as large as say facebook. There's no reason to just hate on something though, if you don't like it, don't use it. And his explanation refute everything about what you said, he pointed out that he enjoys other people's interesting remarks and links, and liking what others have to say is not just trying "to feel important"

@JeffCoe: If it's important, call, text, IM me or just post it on your facebook.

"just post it on your facebook" wins for most hilarious Twitter condemnation.

@beekerstudios: whoops, that was meant for Ajax in the post below this one.

beekerstudios

@Ajax: Don't follow Oprah. Don't follow Ashton.

Problem solved!

@digidandy: To be fair, I actually look for replies that tell me why people are using Twitter, because I don't get it. I don't hate it, I just don't understand.

For the 30 minutes I've used it, it seemed worthless. Like a contest to see how many people read your clever AIM away message. I gather there are other reasons to use it, but unfortunately there's rarely a legitimate reply to the original question.

enm4r

@OMG! Ponies!: Yeah, that last line in the review about "[...] how much speed, focus and design really matter to you" sums up why I use Twitterrific.

@Wayne Williams: I don't really understand how they're competing. Facebook seems more apt for posting pictures, actually connecting with friends, easy to keep track and organize events for multiple people. Also easier to send a quick facebook message to someone than make sure your email address book is up to date.

The status/wall feature of facebook I think is the lease important. Twitter just seems like perpetual AIM away messages...though I gather from the replies it's usage has evolved somewhat.

enm4r

@Ajax: don't follow celebrities, done! I follow very few, mostly of the "twitlebs" I follow are musicians, and even then it's a very small number

beekerstudios

Now if only they had a decent app for pushing twitter. IM+ is ok(ish) but it crashes a lot.

Mark Thomas

@devianaut: Please that's what I use Gizmodo posts for

@devianaut: when are people like you going to realize it's not all about me, it's about connecting with like minded people. I interact with film makers, vfx artists, 3d animators, web designers, graphic designers, photographers, artists, of all sorts. I follow a very small handful of "twitlebs, and if people don't interact, I don't follow.

I rarely post what I am having for dinner, or that I am doing this or that, but I do occasionaly post things related to stuff I love, film, music, art, the web, and if I happen to be at a concert, I will tweet about it.

ahhh twitter paranoia...
ignorance at it's finest.

/feeding the troll

beekerstudios

@MrBlahBlah: TweetDeck is crashy as shit. It's pretty though.

@digidandy: except cats are more awesome. do your homework next time, friend.

@Matt0505: As you can see, your comment definitely drew some attention...your comment is so similar to what I normally hear when I tell people that I am on twitter. I think people use Twitter differently (inherently) - I use it solely as a way to get "push" news and updates about the things that are important to me. Its much easier and functional than using a news aggregation service. Plus, its amazing how much you can actually communicate in 140 characters...I suggest you try the service with an open mind before you completely bash it or attempt to pigeonhole all of its users. Do you honestly think that everyone on twitter just cares about taking dumps?

sigity

Watch out Matt!! I think your hair is on fire.

Leave the troll alone, he'll never understand.@Matt0505:

archdan

@Matt0505: I agree in part, but it really depends on how it's being used.

Think about what the original purpose of blogging was - to take the stuff people found interesting on the web and put it in a log. But then people took it as a tool for creating their own personal journals. Nothing wrong with that (except that it bastardized the term blog). Twitter can, in some ways, be viewed as going back to that original blogging concept, with the option of throwing in some comments on personal thoughts, etc.

As a tool for actual blogging, I think twitter is great. And if that's how you use it, you might find it good for that as well. And the nice thing is that the people who follow you are going to be the people who appreciate those links. You don't need to read any body else's tweets and you don't need to tweet about what you had for breakfast. It's entirely up to you as to what you want to read and say.

I do think that twitter has become an abused tool. And I think that the whole "following" thing has been its demise. Lots of people are only twittering to get followers, and are only following people because they want to be followed themselves. It's that whole "how many friends do you have" thing that ruins every social network, because as soon as you start caring about how many you have, you essentially don't care about the quality. In my mind twitter would be a much better tool if there was a way to quantify quality over quantity in followers. Maybe then people would start thinking about whether what they were saying actually mattered to anyone at all.

@jeffrola is sharing that he's better than you and may or may not feel important. The real importance here is that I am important, I'm better than you, and I think twitter sucks.

@Matt0505: You are obviously one of those annoying, ignorant people that I definitely would not have followed on Twitter.

You seem completely stuck on the followers bit. It's like saying that any contribution to, say, an email mailing-list in 1998 was only about the members "feeling important" when they contributed to the group. Who cares if they "feel important", if they are vain or whatever, if they have something to contribute?

That vanity argument is about as shallow as the dried-up pond outside my house.

digidandy

@Matt0505:

I'll give you a reason that Twitter is legitimate and worthwhile *TO ME*. You (and your "this is a rhetorical question; I've already decided there is no worthwhile reason" attitude) may feel differently.

I'm a huge bicycle racing fan. A lot of pro racers tweet (yes, themselves, not their publicists). It's a really fascinating "insider" view of how individual stars and domestiques felt about a particular stage on any given day, how their training is going at any particular time, etc. So I get unfiltered, interesting (to me), bite-sized, chunks of fun information about a sport I love and the people who participate in it.

But if you can't figure out a way to use a given technology, ummmm... okay. Why do you have to get all pissed off about the fact that that's not true for everybody? I don't use MMS, but I don't feel the need to post things on the 'net about how "I. DO. NOT. CARE."

Because that would make me look kind of like a dick.

@Matt0505: Maybe you need some more sleep or some fresh air.

There's really no reason to be this critical about a social networking site. Good Lord. You go ahead and stay off Twitter and I'll continue following interesting and informative people.

Group hug.

I dislike Twitter mainly because in the site, celebrities have found another way to waste us normal people's precious time. Now we have to constantly be ready to hear about Oprah's day or what Ashton had for lunch. Also, the idea of Twitter is a very fancy solution for a nonexistent problem. Who here ever thought to themselves, "Man, if only I could update random people on inconsequential things?" It's the whole idea of undirected streams of consciousness battling for attention that, quite frankly, makes me queasy.

Well, this app looks useful for Twitter users, too bad Twitter can't come out with their own app like Facebook did, though. Now that would be a Twitter app worth downloading, if such a thing can even exist.

Ajax

@digidandy: twitter sucks.

@jeffrola: Why should we care that you "think it's the dumbest trend you have seen in a while"? Why are you sharing that with the rest of us? Makes you feel important?

Would you also care to share what you ate for breakfast this morning?

Because your statement is about as useful.

digidandy

I like Tweet Deck. The best part is it's free

MrBlahBlah

@Matt0505:

I'm totally with you. Twitter is the dumbest trend I have seen in a while.

jeffrola

I'm still sticking Twitterrific. Nice and simple with a smattering of gloss. For me, it's that and TweetDeck.

@Matt0505: People that are posting constantly can get quite annoying. I use it as an abbreviated version of the web mostly, more like an RSS feed. If something catches my eye then I can follow the link otherwise I can move on. Since posts are limited to 140 characters, there isn't quite as much bullshit to sift through (if you follow the right people) as just browsing websites. Also, I (and people I know) use it to post interesting photos or events (NOT "I just took a shit" or "o hai i drink *$! lol!"). It simply is what you make of it. I stopped using facebook for anything due to superpoking and spam, twitter took it's place and so far is working much better. I was skeptical on it's purpose until a couple months ago when I started using it, and my attitude has changed. I expected some garbage like myspace, facebook, etc but was pleasantly surprised on what I got.

For someone who thinks it's narcissistic to just have people follow you on Twitter why do you stay on this webpage hitting refresh over and over again just to see who replied to your comment? Seems narcissistic to me. I'll tell you why I use it. It's not about followers for me. Mine are private and only a few that I approve (family and friends) can see what I write. I'm 500 miles away from home and thousands miles away from other friends. Sometimes their updates let me know what they're doing and it's a nice way to know what they're up to since I miss them. The other part is for news and for information. The search feature in Twitter can get you any breaking news before any legit news source. Does that clarify things for you, Mr. Condescending?

GageAlcidice

@The Springfield Armor Street Team Intern: To that end, it puts all people on an even playing field. Your favorite artist or athlete is just as likely to respond to you on Twitter as your buddy down the street is.

The Springfield Armor Street Team Intern

@Matt0505: People who use this criticism take the community as a whole at its worst. It's akin to wondering why anyone would read the comments on Giz because of all the "FIRSTs". Twitter is useful to aggregate information, from its most critical to even its pettiest, from ONLY the people you care about. My Twitter feed serves primarily as an insight to sports figures, sports bloggers, a select few musicians who I find interesting, and a couple professional nerds to keep me up on things. There's also a couple friends on there that I can bullshit around with when something funny happens with us. We're not blogging it to the world, just each other. If you don't care how big the crap Ashton Kutcher nor I just took, you don't have to see it.

The Springfield Armor Street Team Intern

@Matt0505: For me, it's a multifunctional social app.

I can keep up with remote friends instantly, assuming they're updating me. I don't talk to a lot of them very often.

I can get a handle on news as it comes out, like an RSS feed for my phone, which is very handy. I also follow a lot of the video game industry types, and they often have interesting things to say.

I can get a glimpse into the real lives of celebrities I give a hoot about. Musicians mostly, and an actor/personality or two. It's interesting to me to know that so-and-so musician is currently cutting a track that I'll get to hear in a few short months. I find it interesting to know that so-and-so actress is backstage at Jimmy Fallon's show and about to go on, and I get to see it later.

It's mostly voyeuristic, sure, but I feel that's the core of Twitter. Then you have the interactive part, which is a whole other conversation.

As for narcisissm, that's just the first few feeble tweets you make. You eventually start writing about things other than your shits. I've really grown to like it, and it's replacing Facebook for me as more friends get on it.

I recommend taking a deeper look, because it's much more than finding out what your friends had for breakfast.

You like Facebook but you hate Twitter? Huh?

Wayne Williams

Furthermore I wonder how much of this twitter hate is just people recoiling against something so many people love so much. The old, "if it's popular I'll hate it to look like a hipster contrarian" syndrome.

soulfinger

I agree with digiandy. It has a lot of worthless material, as well as a lot of interesting thought provoking material and can be a handy way of communicating among peers. So it's pretty much like television, without the commercials, but I don't hear you ranting about TV.

soulfinger

I've said it about a million times, so here it goes again:

TWITTER IS FREE TEXT MESSAGING.

Wayne Williams

@digidandy: Your explanation does nothing to refute my original statement that it's a bunch of people who need to feel important.

"Yay, I've got "followers," I'm special!"

Good for you. It's nice to know people have gotten to the point where it's more important to them to have 200 "friends" online that they know little to nothing abotu than it is to have a much smaller group of face-to-face friends that they actually can have meaningful conversations with.

Like the original guy said. Narcisssism at its finest.

Matt0505

... oh, and why does EVERY F*CKING THREAD about Twitter need to contain 100 replies that says "I just don't get Twitter, twitter users are dumb".

Can we PLEASE get over that part?

Because, when you think about it, posting something like "I don't get Twitter" is almost as self-important as posting a tweet like "I just don't get my cat", right?

digidandy

@GageAlcidice: Thank god someone else posted this before I did...

twitter sucks and has no point. period.

I don't want to know how your sex, last shit, what is on your mind, why you hate your boss, or even how your day is going.

If it's important, call, text, IM me or just post it on your facebook.

@Matt0505: Your post reveals that complete and utter ignorance about Twitter that a lot haters (and you are a hater) display.

Yes, twitter has a lot of people who tell you about the shower they just took, but, equally, it has a LOT of people who post thoughtful, impersonal tweets, people who do small stand up acts in about 140 characters (do I need to mention Dooce?), and, not least, people who post LOTS of useful links that I probably never would have come across elsewhere.

You CHOOSE who you follow. If you don't want to follow the self-absorbed idiots, then don't. But please don't act like there's something inherently wrong about Twitter, much like there's nothing inherently wrong with blogging (which, btw, can also be incredibly mundane and trivial - but then you just don't read them, right?).

digidandy

@GageAlcidice: Because as I clearly stated in the original post, I asked for a legitimate reason why anyone cares about Twitter.

So instead of the typical internet "I don't have anything worthwhile to add, I'll just ask a rhetorical question" garbage, it would be excellent if you could actually contribute to my original question.

Matt0505

If you truly don't care would you have clicked on this article and commented?

GageAlcidice

Can someone please give me a legitimate, worthwhile reason why anyone gives a crap about Twitter. It really is a remarkable commentary on how much people need to feel like they're in any way important.

"Just took a crap, it was GREAT!!!"

I

DO

NOT

CARE

Matt0505

i tried out tweetdeck and i didnt like it. too much of everything everywhere. im still using twitterfon because it's simple and lets me get the job done. i might actually consider checking this thing out though, seems like my kind of app.

ahhh twitter....
narcissism at it's finest.

devianaut