I know I’m never going to hear the end of this from all of you wall post-leaving, status-liking friends of mine, but here it is, my Top Ten Reasons Why Twitter is Better than Facebook.
HONORABLE MENTION:
The Fail Whale —————————————–>
10. Privacy
I don’t know about you, but I remember the days when Facebook was a fairly private social network. I could write on a friends wall and not think twice about who else would be reading it. Not any more! Now, not only will my buddy read about what I thought of the school play, but so will his mom, uncle, college roommate and SAT tutor. Facebook has taken a step farther by allowing others to comment on my comment. So now I get to here what 20 million people, half of whom I’ve never met, think about my opinion of Transformers 2. (Which, for
Transfomers = too long
the record, was an hour too long). Twitter, on the other hand, allows me strict control over who subscribes to my posts. If I don’t want Uncle Bob reading my updates, then he can’t. In addition, I only have to read information from those I choose to follow. So if I don’t care how you scored on the “Which Exotic Flower Are You?!” quiz, then I don’t have it cluttering my home page.
9. Speaking of Dumb Quizzes….
I owe a shout out to my buddy Ty (@tykomjati) for this one. Have you ever wondered which motorcycle best fits your personality? Or how about which 90s cartoon character you’d be. Well, if you’ve got 3 minutes and are willing to answer 10 very easily-manipulated questions, Mark Zuckerberg will tell you (and all 2,000 of your “friends.”). While I am guilty of participating in a few quizzes of
If I'm Turk, who's JD?
my own (I would be Turk if I was a Scrubs character), honestly, I don’t care “Which brand of Tube Socks…” you are, and I doubt any of your other friends do either.
8. Professional Networking…what a thought!
When I first got a Facebook page I told myself I’d keep it under control and professional. About a week later, I realized how impossible a feat that truly is. Unless you completely restrict your profile (a thought that has always rubbed me the wrong way), everyone from Grandpa Joe to your supervisor at work has access to plenty of incriminating evidence in addition to all of the “lovely” comments us “mature” college students leave on each others’ walls. Thanks to Facebook, not only can potential employers see those videos of me singing the Backstreet Boys, but they’ll also know that my roommate thought it was funny to change my favorite movies to Legally Blonde and The Girl Next Door. Classy.
Unlike Facebook, Twitter lets you show off your wittiest 140 character comments, and impress potential employers by seeing that you’re following grown-up sites like the New York Times and Politico. Visitors to my Twitter page get to read all of my interesting musings from the day, while visitors to my
Me+mini skirt= no job. But really, it was for cancer research, really.
Facebook page get to watch two of my friends debate which was better, Space Jam or Like Mike, or….if they’re feeling adventurous, they may stumble upon those pictures of me in a wig and mini-skirt from Relay for Life. Again…classy.
(Courtesy to OU Student Senate Treasurer Emily Shuki (@ShookEYE) for help with this one.)
7. You get to talk to Shaq…..like, for real
As one my my fellow tweets (@jpontzer) pointed out, Twitter allows you to connect and talk with a variety of celebrities and politicians. By having “verified accounts” you know that the account listed as belonging to Dave Matthews actually belongs to Dave (and not some 13-year-old with a laptop). When Sarah Palin announced she was going to step down as governor, she didn’t rush to tell Fox News, she tweeted it. When Shaq was contemplating which nickname to take up once he comes to Cleveland, he asked the Twitterverse. (I voted for Shaqer Heights…) Sure, Facebook lets you be a “fan” of celebrities (and other cool things like “Not Being on Fire…”), but honestly, has any of the pages you’re fans of ever “liked” one of your statuses? I didn’t think so.
7 friends are now fans of Not Being on Fire. Really? Only 7 of them?
6. Speaking of 13-year-olds…
Facebook went from a nice, family-friendly site, to one overrun with spam, bots and 7th graders with too much time. Not only am I “friends” with my little brother, grand parents, aunts, uncles, high school teachers and everyone to ever graduate from Shaker Heights High School, but almost daily I get the lovely task of rejecting random person after random person. Twitter is a far different animal. While there more than a few spam accounts, they are easily de-followed. Also, Twitters more-mature and sophisticate nature means no updates telling me that my ex-best friends 12-year-old sister is now in a complicated relationship.
5. It’s educational
MJ agrees, Twitter is the jam
Quick quiz: Which was the first to break the news of Michael Jackson’s death: CNN or Twitter? Want a hint? The news relayed in fewer than 140 characters. From giving me the headlines from major news sources and blogs, to letting reporters in the field give me the blow-by-blow, Twitter puts breaking news in the palm of my hand. The only thing I’ve ever learned from Facebook is that my roommate’s favorite musicians are Taylor Swift and The Jonas Brothers…awkward.
4. I prefer Big Brother stay in 1984, and stay off of my laptop
Facebook doesn’t care what you think, at all. Remember when everyone was up in arms about the new News and Mini Feeds? Just a year later, most users would be lost without them. Oh yeah, and how about those Terms of Service, which basically say that all of those lovely pictures of you drinking in your parents’ basement and streaking through Pepper Pike belong to Facebook, and it can do whatever it wants with them? Controlling much?
3. Facebook chat…ew
Once upon a time, everyone spent countless hours on AOL Instant Messenger. Everyday I’d run home from the bus stop to see which of the friends I had just spent the entire day with were logged on. Then, one day, we all grew up and realized that the 2 hour conversations about whether or not my pink shirt makes me look like a tool or whether or not Molly still “likes” Jimmy were pointless. Facebook chat is taking us all back to 6th grade, rapidly. Do I really need to get five “hey”s everytime I open my computer? Do every one of my friends need to know every minute that I’m logged in? If you want to talk, give me a call.
Shaq Daddy is a frequent tweeter.... (@THE_REAL_SHAQ)
2. Did I mention Shaq uses it? Enough said.
1. Control
No matter what you do, how you adjust your privacy and news feed settings or how little you use it, Facebook makes it impossible to escape those people you’d rather not know about. Most recently, Facebook decided to use “friend recommendations” to creepily tell me to befriend an array of acquaintances, from my 2nd grade art class buddy to that one girl from soccer camp. In addition to telling me who to be friends with, Facebook also loves to flaunt the activities of every person I’ve ever known. Do I really need every picture my ex-girlfriend is tagged in on my home page? Is the fact that my high school science teacher “no longer listed in a relationship” really so urgent that it needs to be in my highlights? Like a loyal friend, Twitter will never force me to talk about (or stalk) any significant others, past or present. If I want to tweet about, I can, if I want to read everyone who has tweeted about it, I can, but…if for some reason I don’t want to be bothered with her July 4th pics, I don’t have to.
60 percent of all twitter users quit within the first month. Really that’s all that needs to be said, but I’ll keep going.
I’ve never understood Twitter. I actually had a professor teach an entire class period about Twitter, and still don’t really see its value for the everyday person. I don’t care what Wes is tweeting unless I care about OU, which I don’t.
You can say that twitter brings you closer to athletes and celebs, but really you think that Chad Ochocinco reads tweets not sent by Shawn Merriman on a regular basis? Now you have a better chance of him reading that than a letter, but you’re not talking to him.
If you want to get your breaking news off it fine, but otherwise just read your friends’ facebook statuses, its the same thing.
Umm… But for real, you look hot in a mini-skirt. Please wear that to D-Time each week next year. Thanks.
While I agree with most of these points (and greatly appreciate the Shakerite-style snark), I do have one counter argument (after all, I can never completely agree with you on anything).
While you may choose to keep your personal Twitter under control, that fact that you can read tweets from Shaq, John Mayer, Jessica Simpson and Sarah Palin opens a whole new issue about privacy. While their posts are entertaining, is it really appropriate that I know that John Mayer is drinking alone tonight? And can follow his twitter conversation with the real Miley Cyrus (or is she the fake?). Granted, I do not HAVE to see this when I log in (hypothetically, considering I don’t have a twitter) but it is still available.
Otherwise, I agree with you. (For once).
Very entertaining. I haven’t read much of your writing since you graduated. I can tell how your style has matured. (P.S. Happy birthday.)
I definitely prefer Twitter over Facebook. Does that make it categorically “better”? Maybe. But I’d contend that the two have different uses — my Facebook and Twitter friends have only a small overlap, and the way I interact with people, even the ones who are on both networks, changes depending on the platform.
And a note on privacy:Twitter really isn’t private. If your profile is public, blocking Uncle Bob won’t keep him from reading your tweets — it only prevents his getting them in his feed.
That said, these are great points. I’d add this one: Facebook is trying desperately to be more like Twitter, with major overhaul after major overhaul. Meanwhile, Twitter is keeping it simple, occasionally making minor shifts to make the site work better.
for lack of anything to say to that madness…
i second what ty said.
Notice how Facebook used to be completely different from when it first started…Twitter is simple NOW…give it a few more months..
I like Twitter and I like this post
lets just agree and say they are both mostly dumb and pointless. “professionals” are just having to much fun with twitter, therefore it must be better (or that is their rational to make them feel better for participating in the silly and narcissistic activity). I second everything TC said, but in the end Twitter is nothing more then a glorified RSS feed/Email Chains (with 90% of it being useless information or posts to links of lolcats).
Wow. Wow. Wow. I wish I had written this. It’s exactly why my email signature reads “Follow me @dtrigueros – I hate Facebook”. Love this.
lol on the “dumb quizzes” on facebook – so true.
While I agree with the over all sentiment, I don’t agree with all of your reasoning. In gerenal terms Twitter is great for engaging with new people (in or around subjects that interest you), while Facebook is better for keeping up with current and old friends.
Better yet is Friendfeed (which Facebook copies the best features as they are released). Better conversation tracking and search for topics.
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us…Twitter from Facebook from MySpace from…None would be possible without the one before…Each basket gathers its own type of nuts…& many baskets is better than one…but, I hear you…
I like both Facebook and Twitter. I will admit that Facebook is getting somewhat stupid as Myspace continues its demise. More “myspaceism” is entering the Twitter realm including drama, oneupsmanship and women publicly following the path of the YouTube video “I Guess You’ll Do”, but that is easily rectifiable by deleting people, not adding them in the first place or hiding them in your home page stream. (It does suck that Facebook will still put it in your Highlights though.) I don’t think you can compare the two platforms, Twitter and Facebook, as they seem to have different purposes and definitely have different methods of use. I do spend more time using Twitter than Facebook though.
DUH! Like we TWEETS dind’t know this already!
TWITTER RULES!!! Woot!
twitter.com/adventuregirl.com
Oh my. If I hear about yet another one of my grade school friends that are addicted to Farmville on Facebook, I think I’ll bullet my brain. I’ll bet you people couldn’t grow your own food, and can’t remember what the earth even smells like. It’s no wonder health care is a mess.
And everyone that is on Facebook consistently is doing something lame. QUIZES! OY!! I’m one more lame news feed away from dumping facebook.
Thank goodness for twitter. At least I can get something substantial. Like knowing what Lance is listening to while getting his massage. HA!
It’s all crap people. Here’s something to do this weekend. Watch a little movie called UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD.
You will never think about your handheld device the same way.
We are not even living within our bodies. We are living in our brains. We are living in our dreams…..
Facebook is for talking with your friends. Twitter is for broadcast. To see them as the same thing* is to miss the point, which is that web communication (and user-generated content in particular) must necessarily take on different forms.
In other words, Shaq is not talking /to/ you; he’s talking /at/ you.
(Disconcertingly, Facebook’s frantic founder seems to make this mistake, too)
1. Privacy: If you really wish to read any Tom Dick and Harry’s post on Twitter – You easily can- Quite unlike facebook where its impossible for anyone to read anyones updates unless you are friends with that person. Facebook Scores Better!
2. Quizzes: You only get updates about which quiz someone has taken just because you have added them up. Delete them off your list if you so don’t wish to hear about them or their quizzes…
3. Professionalism: Just as easily as you follow on Twitter you can follow groups on Facebook as well. People will always be people…
4. Shaq: Agreed Twitter scores a point above FB here
5. Breaking News: Agreed Twitter scores above FB
6. Talking of bots I feel there are more bots / Porn stars on twitter than anywhere else….
7. If FB chat pissed you off so much why did you not disable it….Don’t tell me you never used an @ remark on Twitter- Instead did you pick up the telephone ?
8. If posting photos on FB bothered you about the rights post them on Flickr and run a feed on FB….as opposed to Twitter where you just cannot post any only for Twitpic
9. Just incase you did not notice there is a button to ‘Detag’ your photo too…
10. Who cares who uses it ….My gf doesn’t use Twitter- She is on Facebook!
facebook = for childish fun and family/friends gossip
twitter = for interesting information and professional networking
I think having both and separating its use is important.
After all, both of them bring as much traffic to my web pages.
http://twitter.com/akirau
People have already read most of my points, but I’ll reinforce:
Facebook is far MORE private than Twitter. No one will see what you write, except the people YOU pick to be your friends. On Twitter, the whole world can see everything. I type much more private stuff on facebook – things I don’t mind my friends and family knowing, but would certainly mind the whole world knowing. Hence, not a valid complaint.
“20 million people, half of whom I’ve never met.” Ehh… Sounds like you have WAY too many Facebook friends. Most of your complaints seem to be based on your presumption that FB somehow forces you to be friends with your best friend’s 12-year-old sister, your ex’s, your high school teachers… Actually it does not, no more than Twitter forces you to follow them. If you don’t like half of the people, why do you not “unfriend” them? You’ll find it’s actually no more difficult than unfollowing, which you praise for its simplicity.
Also, you can choose whether you see quizzes or not. Also, you can choose which FB friends show up in your news feed.
And possibly most importantly: why the HELL do you not just disable FB chat? I always have it disabled when I’m e.g. working. Not a valid complaint.
I use both. On FB, friends can comment on my statuses, which is much like going for coffee, telling them something and then discussing it. Such multi-person conversations are what I miss the most about FB when I’m on Twitter. Twitter, on the other hand, is good for news and meeting new interesting people. Who can possibly become my Facebook friends, once I know them well enough.
1st line: I meant to say “made” not “read”! (Which is a scarily strange mistake to make. Hmm.)
Love Twitter and I use/participate/LEARN from/search Twitter on a daily basis. Facebook I am on because I ’should be’ but I’m not a big FB fan.
Obviously you need a Facebook class to learn about privacy settings and hiding unwanted information…
They are both ignorant… but the creators are running a business – literally shaping the foundation of the Internet. Mark Z. Will be remembered for centuries unlike the hacks posting here – including myself.
Nobody has provided one meaningful idea outside the basic pros and cons you would here from a clown reading a tv prompter – ala Nancy Grace.
You are all, which includes me, mindless phonies sharing mindless theory. Phony drones typing away at an already outdated machine – the world is turning, you are going to die.
Your time spent squandered away engaging in tgis lousy thread. I am no better than you… But I face the brutal facts that I am meaningless and my ignorance is often better kept to myself. Like now… So I’ll stop here.
Just a shout out to a fellow northeast Ohioan. “Shaqer Heights”, that’s nice.
Excellent post also. I really don’t care “Which Star Trek Character” my friends would be. I will RT your post on my @The216 account as good advice from a fellow 216′er.
I still like facebook better…. haha. Can’t help it.
LuCy — Contrary to your limited knowledge, Twitter has been around since 2006, and has barely changed. The only thing different is that @ replies are now officially part of the site, whereas they used to be an unofficial thing that users made up. I don’t see Twitter changing much. It is simple, and always has been simple.
Facebook is so piled with quizzes and ads and stupid “games” that I can hardly see the useful/interesting parts, i.e. what my friends are up to.
Anne — If you think you can’t make Twitter private, you are an idiot. Twitter’s privacy settings only have two options (unlike Facebook’s maze of privacy settings) — the “Protect My Updates” feature. Click on Settings; Protect My Updates is one of about six things you can alter on that page. If you choose that option, people will have to send you a request before they can view your updates (even people you follow).
To the author of this blog: unlike the rest of the people reading this, I am not your high school buddy (just clicked on a random link). Though your writing is fairly good and the post was entertaining enough that I read the whole thing (rare for me), you desperately need to edit and learn the difference between homonyms. You mixed up here/hear, as well as forgetting several apostrophes (like “my friends updates” — should be “my friend’s updates”). A simple spell-check would have caught other errors, such as “truely.” If you want potential employers to find you, make sure your writing matches your (desired) maturity level.
On that note, potential employers are the BEST thing about Twitter (other than being able to keep up with my friends without the madness of FB). I follow several local websites and newspapers, and have found TWO writing jobs by responding to their posts. Also, by networking with my followers, I have found sources for several articles I was writing — including a Somali source for an article on Somali pirates. Since I follow and am followed by many people I don’t know in real life or on Facebook, this networking would be impossible without Twitter.
I love Twitter and hardly ever update FB anymore, for the reasons you listed. If I post about hitchhiking, I immediately get a call from my mother asking, “Are you okay?!?!” If you make a Twitter account without your full name, no one can find you except the people you want to find you. As a journalism student/ freelance writer, Twitter is my best friend.
If yiou wanna know what someone has to say you can subscribe to their rss feed. If you want a more interactive conversation you have irc and instant messaging. If you want to share something to your friends you cans send them an email.
Twitter and facebook are just a waste of time and are of less quality than preexistimg servicies.
Sorry for the damn tipos.
Hey Wes, this is an excellent top ten list. The Real Shaq is the Real Reason why Twitter is better. I like it because it is so simple, anyone can use it, even my seemingly computer illiterate grandparents. You can cross-post this to our site http://www.toptentopten.com/ and link back to your site. We are trying to create a directory for top ten lists where people can find your site. The coolest feature is you can let other people vote on the rankings of your list.
Posting the results of the stupid idiotic quizzes also opens up a whole new way for people to send Sexual innuendos and other tacky comments to someone else’s mate, husband, wife or girl/boy friends. I am sick of finding these types of comments on my boy friend’s FB Wall. These other women need to get a life and a man of the their own. These quizzes DO NOT describe him in the slightest way in real life!! Just a lame way of flirting and I am sick of it. HE NEEDS to Stop, too. Facebook should not be a Date site, too. The quizzes are ridiculous and show how shallow he is being by taking them.
Facebook quizzes are so stupid and have NO purpose. Do crosswords if you are so bored. Read a book. NOT facebook so one can make a nasty comment to my boyfriend because he posted the results of “What kind of Kiss are you?” or “Which one of your friends do you want to have a pillow fight with? etc. This has gotten to be irritating and childish. Facebook needs to seriously revamp its image and purpose. Stop being a nasty online quizz show.
Dear Janie…Totally! Totally agree…& while we’re on the subject, could someone please make all that free porn that arrives disguised as innocent flirting on these sites, could someone make it less free? Or hide it behind the guy at the cash like they do in convenience stores? So your boyfriend or husband has to buy it to see it? I don’t think the purpose of Facebook or Twitter was to break up long standing relationships- despite that fact, we have gotten some pretty explicit stuff on Twitter, which I found by clicking on a new follower’s profile website…(I block, but still, c’mon, a little too easy isn’t it all?) Obviously I am not the only female who is pissed…
becky, i totally agree with you. with the spelling checks, homonyms and all. twitter is definitely better than facebook…:)
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Excellent site, keep up the good work
I WAS JD!