On my recent trip, I noticed things about social networking that has forced me to rethink my conclusions about Twitter and other social networking crazes.

To begin with, the U.S. seems more into Twitter than anywhere else. Not sure I even saw it advertised or used in Europe at all. I met some people who follow me on Twitter on Israel but they will be the first to admit that few Israeli’s are into it. That leads me  to wonder if the Twitter influence will last? For if it isn’t worldwide, then it’s effectiveness will eventually wane.

The most I’ve gotten out of Twitter is coming across the Twitter Poker Tour which holds a couple online tournaments each week. It is a bunch of poker players looking for a game and since I like to play, it’s a good tourney to get into. There is some good play. (Check them out here #tpt)

Before I left on my trip, I heard an author – who was talking about research she did into Myspace and Facebook – put social networking a good way. It’s more about broadcasting than actually sharing. People are broadcasting about themselves often giving the illusion something they are doing has importance when it really doesn’t. 

Twitter can be used for business. I use it to ‘broadcast’ announcements with groups I work with. I use the DM as a memo function with people I work with. The people who use it most often where I am at like the fact it is just another text function. If it wasn’t for the text function from their phone, not sure they would use it.

Personally, I track tech stuff on it. When someone points out a new piece of software or something, I make a note of the link if I want to check it out. But I don’t expect much out of Twitter other than pretty meanliness chat or if I want to ’broadcast’ something.

It was clear to me though being in Europe and the Middle East, that the impact on business by Twitter is going to be negilible. It is another presence but not a major one. In general, people won’t be driven to your business because of Twitter. It won’t add to the bottom line. It might keep people informed a little better for like non-profit groups – again the broadcast aspect – but that will be the reach of it. And people in other parts of the world are much more connected to social circles then we are here in the States so the need for online interaction is much less. I find a lot of people on Twitter – people on there way too much – whom I am not sure know what to do with themselves when the computer is turned off.

Some say Twitter has become a way to promote a cause. I would say only to a degree. The so-called Iranian Revolution (which is really one group of extreme clerics trying to overthrow another group of extreme clerics) is a good example. Everyone on twitter got behind the Revolutionaries. Yet it was more a ‘go along with the crowd’ event and didn’t match events as they occured and interest has been waning a little with each passing day. It was though a good way for the demonstrators to communicate with one another when the government stopped other forms of communication. But there is no real twitter collective social conscience as demonstrated by the lack of mentions of the uprising in Western China. The Chinese government learned from Iran and shut down twitter access so the rebels couldn’t use it.

I was surprised – and disappointed by Israeli twitters – who got behind the Iranian demonstrators when in the tweets put out by demonstrators they were clearly insulting Israel and expressing their dislike of Jews. And of course they are still in favor of a nuclear program so what exactly would change if they won??? There is a reason Western leaders didn’t jump on that bandwagon.

I tried Myspace but found it a waste of time which contributed absolutely nothing to my life and everytime I talk to someone with Facebook, they sound more annoyed by it then thrilled so I won’t be signing up for a FB account anytime soon. If you’re a teenager with nothing else going on but high school gossip, it probably could be fun.

I’ll keep my twitter account – @mysticaljett - although I will keep blocking most marketers. A spammer is a spammer. I do think though that my initial feeling that twitter might become something more was wrong and it’s inroads will be totally limited to ‘broadcasting’ aspects of life. And most people, who are busy with offline life, won’t miss not being on there at all.