Twitter?

[XOMiss_Samantha]

So now that TZ has integrated Twitter into it's system, I was curious about how many people here actually use the site daily, and if it's worth it to open up an account.

[Juu-kuchi]

Nah, ain't gonna be using Twitter despite the add-on to the site. But if I do it's going to be the longest while until I decide to open an account.

[Taekmkm]

Why is it telling me I have one? 0_o

[Daxdiv]

How did it know I have one? That's my question

[Raidon Makoto]

I made a Twitter because of the integration. The integration isn't as cool as I hoped. It'd be cool if it could redirect all of the text in my post to my Twitter account.

[James]

How did it know I have one? That's my question

I don't think it does. What it optioned for me was wrong. Given the word limit I'm not sure I'll be using the opt for twitter. Particularly as I tend to waffle on quite a bit.

[Lazerboy5000]

How did it know I have one? That's my question
Maybe you are using the same email for both TZ and Twitter, but I still don't know how it would know.

[Daxdiv]

Maybe you are using the same email for both TZ and Twitter, but I still don't know how it would know.

I made this account over here and my Twitter account with the same E-mail, so I guess so.

[Raidon Makoto]

I believe what happens is that when you go to your Twitter options, your Username on TZ is in the box for Username on Twitter. If you have a Twitter with the same Username, it pops up.

[mookie75]

I probably won't bother with a Twitter account. People already don't care about what I have to say here, so why should I collect another group of people who would be the same way? :p;)

[Meson]

I have a twitter account, but I don't see where the twitter option is...

[The Wolverine]

I have a twitter account, but I don't see where the twitter option is...

Edit Options under User CP, at the very bottom.

[defunctzombie]

No "twitter" for me. I can't really see the point in having one since I have no friends that care what I am doing at a particular moment. I guess it can be helpful if you are a socialite.

[DarthGonzo]

I have no interest in twitter. Zip. Nada. None.

[NelStone]

What exactly is Twitter for, anyway? Is it just status updates ala MySpace and FaceBook?

[The Wolverine]

What exactly is Twitter for, anyway? Is it just status updates ala MySpace and FaceBook?

More or less.

[NelStone]

More or less.

Oh... well that's just not interesting at all. Just seems kinda pointless barring "don't call me right now" messages or something.

[The Wolverine]

^ It was originally meant for people to send status updates from their iPhones; it's just that it caught on somehow and is enjoying a rather surprising popularity.

[Yash]

I don't get Twitter. I mean I understand Facebook and MySpace, but Twitter...

Maybe there's more to it but all it seems like is the Facebook status updates, and that's all.

[Ishtar]

I made a Twitter account, but I don't think I'll really be using it. It doesn't seem like something that is worth checking. Why have the Facebook update statuses by themselves when you could have Facebook entirely?

[Mynd Hed]

I like Twitter. It's like being in a giant IM chat with everyone in my friends list all at the same time. Sometimes you just kind of want to say something, not to any particular person, but just out loud into the ether, and let anyone who actually cares about it reply. That's what Twitter's for.

That said, I doubt I'll use the TZ integration that much, because when something happens on TZ that I might want to post on Twitter, my friends who are TZ members probably already know about it, and my other friends probably don't care.

[Lazerboy5000]

I like Twitter. It's like being in a giant IM chat with everyone in my friends list all at the same time. Sometimes you just kind of want to say something, not to any particular person, but just out loud into the ether, and let anyone who actually cares about it reply. That's what Twitter's for.
I got some SuperNews for you... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2HAroA12w)

[The Irishman]

I use twitter but I can't get the full use out of it seeing as its blocked at the office (of all things). It's good for following people who you might otherwise not be able to communicate with through traditional channels. Although there is a fair amount of people out there with literally nothing useful to say.

With the character limit, I can't see the point in integrating my account with TZ.

[James]

I made a Twitter account, but I don't think I'll really be using it. It doesn't seem like something that is worth checking. Why have the Facebook update statuses by themselves when you could have Facebook entirely?

Because I don't want a Facebook thanks.

There is a trend in people not getting Twitter because they have not tried it. Like many things, you don't get it until you well, get it.

I far prefer it to Facebook. Get twitterfox for your browser and it's great getting short info bursts - some relevant, some not so - and interacting in short friendly bursts with links, muses and comments. I have no interest in albums of people posing at cameras or looking to prove how amazingly drunk they were at last night's party. Nor am I that interested in what stupid, vacuous apps they have decided to bombard me with. Short, fun updates as to their life, thinking and everything is all I want and all I give.

It's fun for me. Who knows, you might find it fun too.

[Old Guy]

There is a trend in people not getting Twitter because they have not tried it. Like many things, you don't get it until you well, get it.

I have a Twitter account and I don't get the point of it. I understand using Twitter for stuff like ToonZone where you'll get updates on news stories and what-not, but other than that...it's pretty pointless. It's just status updates on steriods. It's people posting, "I just farted" as if anyone cared. So, I'll just stick to Facebook and the occasional MySpace.

[Jave]

I have a Twitter account and I don't get the point of it. I understand using Twitter for stuff like ToonZone where you'll get updates on news stories and what-not, but other than that...it's pretty pointless. It's just status updates on steriods. It's people posting, "I just farted" as if anyone cared. So, I'll just stick to Facebook and the occasional MySpace.Well, you must have some pretty lousy online friends if all you're getting from Twitter is "I just farted". Or you saw that Penny Arcade strip and totally got the wrong idea.

I got Twitter (and Twitterfox) from DeviantArt when they implemented the system into their software. Nearly all of my DA friends got into it and they use it as an update tool for their respective DA pages. Stuff like "I just added a new picture" or "There's a chat going on right now" is the stuff I usually get, and since I don't even have to go to the main Twitter page, it's all just one click away from the page corner. It's a great system if you want to stay away from all the hassles that are included in Facebook and (specially) MySpace.

[tb4000]

I am on Twitter. I am following Seth Rogen and Kim Kardashian. And it's actually some pretty funny crap.

[NelStone]

Well, you must have some pretty lousy online friends if all you're getting from Twitter is "I just farted". Or you saw that Penny Arcade strip and totally got the wrong idea.

I got Twitter (and Twitterfox) from DeviantArt when they implemented the system into their software. Nearly all of my DA friends got into it and they use it as an update tool for their respective DA pages. Stuff like "I just added a new picture" or "There's a chat going on right now" is the stuff I usually get, and since I don't even have to go to the main Twitter page, it's all just one click away from the page corner. It's a great system if you want to stay away from all the hassles that are included in Facebook and (specially) MySpace.

DeviantArt has chats? God, I know nothing about the sites I'm on.

[James]

I have a Twitter account and I don't get the point of it. I understand using Twitter for stuff like ToonZone where you'll get updates on news stories and what-not, but other than that...it's pretty pointless. It's just status updates on steriods. It's people posting, "I just farted" as if anyone cared. So, I'll just stick to Facebook and the occasional MySpace.

Clearly you need to change your friend group. I have people I know - some actors, comedians,establishments and authors I don't, all adding humorous, interesting or simple muse. If anyone added anything so lame, I'd stop following them - likewise, I'm sure one would do the same if they were as vacuous on Myspace or Facebook.

All depends on the people, but the right combo can make for a lovely service of opinions, links and neat muses that one can simply read of interact with - without the big egofests that come so readily with other social networks. Hard to squeeze too much ego into 140 characters.

[Old Guy]

Well, you must have some pretty lousy online friends if all you're getting from Twitter is "I just farted".

Oh, please. We ALL have friends who think it's funny to do stuff like that. Like I said...it's a useful site to get news updates and what-not. But as a way to connect with friends it's pretty useless. Just stick to Facebook. I mean, yea, you can brag all you want about DeviantArt but I doubt every single friend of yours has a DA account. Some are probably just friends from school and/or work who are gonna update you with nonsense. It's like LiveJournal a few years back. What's the point of reading what happened to someone all day when you can actually, you know, hang out with them and find out? Or if you were with them all day what's the point of reading what happened? You were there.

[Daxdiv]

I believe the keyword in Jave's post was ONLINE FRIENDS. Meaning people you know over the internet, it could be from Toon Zone, You Tube, Deviant Art, or any other websites you frequent, doesn't matter, not someone that you know at your job, school, library or place to shop.

I'm starting to see the appeal in Twitter myself, despite the fact that I only follow a few people and like 2 people follow me, it is still fun.

[Old Guy]

I believe the keyword in Jave's post was ONLINE FRIENDS.

It's still pointless. If you're following an online friend who's an artist, filmmaker, musician, etc you can subscribe to their work via the site you met them in. And you'll get e-mail alerts whenever they update. So if you're using an iPhone or whatever you can still get those updates without resorting to Twitter.

[The Wolverine]

It's still pointless. If you're following an online friend who's an artist, filmmaker, musician, etc you can subscribe to their work via the site you met them in. And you'll get e-mail alerts whenever they update. So if you're using an iPhone or whatever you can still get those updates without resorting to Twitter.

I got a Twitter account specifically to follow Dave Matthews, who doesn't actually own a computer and posts updates from his iPhone.

There's nothing useless about it.

Of course, I'm following other people too, but still. Twitter isn't useless unless you want it to be.

[Jave]

Oh, please. We ALL have friends who think it's funny to do stuff like that.Those people aren't my friends anymore. Quite honestly, I grew out of that stuff years ago and I have no interest of knowing them in real life, Twitter, or Facebook.

Like I said...it's a useful site to get news updates and what-not. But as a way to connect with friends it's pretty useless. Just stick to Facebook.You know, I find myself using Facebook less and less. I'm not that interested in looking at other people's photos, and since Twitter offers me the one function I care from Facebook, WITHOUT the hassle of logging in, why even bother? The only reason I go to Facebook every now and then is to play Word Challenge.

I mean, yea, you can brag all you want about DeviantArt but I doubt every single friend of yours has a DA account.Save for the toonzone updates account, everybody I have on my Twitter account is on DA.

Some are probably just friends from school and/or work who are gonna update you with nonsense. It's like LiveJournal a few years back. What's the point of reading what happened to someone all day when you can actually, you know, hang out with them and find out? Or if you were with them all day what's the point of reading what happened? You were there.But that's the thing, the people I have on Twitter are not people I can meet in real life. But by that logic, what's the point of Facebook and MySpace? What's the point of reading what happened to someone all day when you can actually, you know, hang out with them and find out? Or if you were with them all day what's the point of reading what happened? You were there.

Copy+Paste is fun. :D

[Daxdiv]

It's still pointless. If you're following an online friend who's an artist, filmmaker, musician, etc you can subscribe to their work via the site you met them in. And you'll get e-mail alerts whenever they update. So if you're using an iPhone or whatever you can still get those updates without resorting to Twitter.


What if there not someone famous of some sort but someone that I chat with on a regular basis? After all most of my friends don't live in the same state as me, hell some are in a different country.

Who said that my online friend had to be someone from another site? I did state that a friend could be from this site as well, so I could end up following them if I feel like it. Sure I follow some e-celebs on my Twitter like Marriland and BrentalFloss, Most of which are YT people and this is more easy for them to post something on their Twitter than make a video about it. But with this I can use it to follow my online friends.

[Marvin Tikvah]

I don't use Twitter simply because I have no real reason for using it. Anyone I talk to online already has me on their AIM list and most of my friends from back home are on MySpace.

I also have no interest in reading what some random celebrity is up to. Their work is what matters, not their life.

[Old Guy]

But that's the thing, the people I have on Twitter are not people I can meet in real life. But by that logic, what's the point of Facebook and MySpace? What's the point of reading what happened to someone all day when you can actually, you know, hang out with them and find out? Or if you were with them all day what's the point of reading what happened? You were there.

Except Facebook and MySpace aren't used to read what people do all day. That's LiveJournal and Twitter. Facebook and MySpace are more of an alternative to e-mail. You can leave people a quick (or maybe long) message about something that doesn't involve what you were doing a second ago. And, it's more personal since you're sending it directly to them oppose to everyone. Plus, I don't see why people complain so much about photos. What's wrong with photos?

[Jave]

Facebook and MySpace are more of an alternative to e-mail. You can leave people a quick (or maybe long) message about something that doesn't involve what you were doing a second ago. And, it's more personal since you're sending it directly to them oppose to everyone.You can do all that on Twitter, just so you know.

[Elven Moon]

I have a twitter account. I think it's fun - I like writing random things there that aren't really important enough to mention on my livejournal or something. Plus I like to follow celebrities or businesses I'm interested in.

[Kevin]

At first, I had no interest in twitter, but later on, I signed up to see what it was all about. I saw a bunch of the news and computer related sites I often visit were on twitter, and decided to follow them. It's a great way to get quick updates without having to constantly visit the site itself. Another use for twitter is that a news show I watch uses it to interact with its viewers (I actually got one of my tweets read on the show). I also use it to give short rants, thoughts, or opinions on something.

[James]

Oh, please. We ALL have friends who think it's funny to do stuff like that.

Erm, no we don't. I certainly don't on my Twitter. And if I did have friends like that well, erm, they wouldn't be on my twitter, would they?

Like I said...it's a useful site to get news updates and what-not. But as a way to connect with friends it's pretty useless.

Of course it isn't. I keep up to tabs with friends through Twitter as I would on a Facebook profile - which largely is people leaving messages of around 140 characters on people's walls. For me - and maybe not for you - that's the bottomline. The majority of Facebook social friendships boil down to comments which isn't that different to Twitter. Twitter is just a stripped down version of Facebook's social networking, leaving simply the element people use most regularly as the single form of communication.

If I want to write a longer message - I'll write an e-mail. For me, Facebook is redundant, not that I have issue with anyone feeling they prefer otherwise. My issue is with this common notion that Twitter is somehow bemusing and useless because it's simple interface. It's not, I find it great for keeping up with friends I don't see much of any more, a mode of getting pretty quick news items and comments/muses from people of all walks of life.

Just stick to Facebook. I mean, yea, you can brag all you want about DeviantArt but I doubt every single friend of yours has a DA account. Some are probably just friends from school and/or work who are gonna update you with nonsense. It's like LiveJournal a few years back. What's the point of reading what happened to someone all day when you can actually, you know, hang out with them and find out? Or if you were with them all day what's the point of reading what happened? You were there.

That's my quibble with your argument - it appears to be centered around your personal lifestyle and your friendbase (both of which I'm not criticising). I'm certainly not at school, people I work with are not on Twitter (bar one maybe and that's not a day to day relationship) so I'm not bracketed in your scenario. What people are saying here is that Twitter isn't useless nor is it bemusing but can be a lot of fun. If your friends are all in the same class and tend to scape prosaic enjoyment from bowel gags, then yes, I understand why Twitter would not be for you - though I'm not sure I'd enjoy that on Facebook/Myspace/whatever. Going back to what I initially said, I'm not saying EVERYONE will love Twitter, simply that it's best to try the application properly before judging it. You've tried it and don't like it - cool, I just disagree with your notion its useless.

Different strokes. But for me, I really don't like Facebook and far prefer the simplicity and ego-less elements to Twitter. I think the non-mutual follow system also helps lower the ego-potential of tweets.

[sdp]

twitter.com/sdphost


Twitter was awesome back in the day, I hate to be an elitist but before it was all popular it was indeed more enjoyable. Facebook keeps trying to be like twitter. Twitter is adicting though, you can update from your phone also.

[Mynd Hed]

Well, you must have some pretty lousy online friends if all you're getting from Twitter is "I just farted". Or you saw that Penny Arcade strip and totally got the wrong idea.

Exactly. You get out of it what you put into it-- if somebody keeps spamming pointless comments that you don't care about, you stop following them. Simple as that.

Twitter was awesome back in the day, I hate to be an elitist but before it was all popular it was indeed more enjoyable. Facebook keeps trying to be like twitter. Twitter is adicting though, you can update from your phone also.

"Back in the day"? It's only been available since 2006. Even if you were on it from Day One, three years ago is NOT "back in the day." There is no "back in the day" when it comes to Twitter.

Besides, your experience with Twitter is going to depend entirely on who you're following, so there's no such thing as "what it was like then as opposed to now". Everyone's experience is different, it makes absolutely no difference when they got into it.

Anyway, it's also nice because it gives me one place to check all of my friend's stuffs. So I don't have to constantly check my friend Mike's blog, DeviantArt, YouTube account, and XBLA status, because any time he updates any one of them, he'll post a link on Twitter (or has a script that will do it automatically). It's not a substitute for other forms of online communication, it's a supplement.

If it's not your thing, it's not your thing, and that's fine, but I find it very amusing and sad that so many people seem to be offended by the fact that it even EXISTS.

[sdp]

"Back in the day"? It's only been available since 2006. Even if you were on it from Day One, three years ago is NOT "back in the day." There is no "back in the day" when it comes to Twitter.

Besides, your experience with Twitter is going to depend entirely on who you're following, so there's no such thing as "what it was like then as opposed to now". Everyone's experience is different, it makes absolutely no difference when they got into it.


I first joined twitter 2 years ago if not before (around the time all the tech people first joined) and it was definitely a lot different. Twitter hasn't been the same since celebrities started using it. I mean how long have you been using it? Remember when Leo was the number one user and its now Ashton? Not to mention its full of spambots. And yeah not to mention you follow people, in 2 years even people you follow may no longer be twitting relevant things to you.

I am being an elitist but I mentioned that in my post, just because twitter just got huge now doesn't mean it was the same thing before.

[The Wolverine]

I first joined twitter 2 years ago if not before (around the time all the tech people first joined) and it was definitely a lot different. Twitter hasn't been the same since celebrities started using it. I mean how long have you been using it? Remember when Leo was the number one user and its now Ashton? Not to mention its full of spambots. And yeah not to mention you follow people, in 2 years even people you follow may no longer be twitting relevant things to you.

I am being an elitist but I mentioned that in my post, just because twitter just got huge now doesn't mean it was the same thing before.

Twitter has always had the same basic functions with different ways of using it.

There's nothing 'not the same' about it.

Only now you can syndicate your tweets to Facebook and Livejournal. Makes it easier for me to blog.

[James]

I first joined twitter 2 years ago if not before (around the time all the tech people first joined) and it was definitely a lot different. Twitter hasn't been the same since celebrities started using it. I mean how long have you been using it? Remember when Leo was the number one user and its now Ashton? Not to mention its full of spambots. And yeah not to mention you follow people, in 2 years even people you follow may no longer be twitting relevant things to you.

I am being an elitist but I mentioned that in my post, just because twitter just got huge now doesn't mean it was the same thing before.

I have to commend your honesty - you are being ridiculously elitist/territorial! :) It's not like Facebook that "back in the day" wasn't so app orientated/twitter orientated. The model is the same. More people use it. It's not like that really can touch how you personally use Twitter.

But as I say, good that you can be so candid about your subjective feelings!

[Tapout]

I can't be bothered with it. I myself have nothing to post whatsoever, I have no friends, and even the accounts of the few celebrities I'm somewhat interested in are probably run by PR agencies.

[Mynd Hed]

I'll grant you the spambots, those can be a little annoying, and they probably weren't around when it was brand new.

But other than that, as far as I can tell the basic functionality has never changed. The only difference is how people use it. If other people want to use it to follow celebrities, that doesn't affect me, because I don't give a crap about celebrities. I only follow people I know in real life, plus one or two of my abridging buddies (and they don't update much anyway).

If someone you'd previously been following isn't as cool as they used to be, that doesn't mean Twitter has gone downhill, it means your friend has. (Or his use of Twitter has, anyway-- he may still be a cool dude otherwise.)

[James]

I'll grant you the spambots, those can be a little annoying, and they probably weren't around when it was brand new.

But other than that, as far as I can tell the basic functionality has never changed. The only difference is how people use it. If other people want to use it to follow celebrities, that doesn't affect me, because I don't give a crap about celebrities. I only follow people I know in real life, plus one or two of my abridging buddies (and they don't update much anyway).

If someone you'd previously been following isn't as cool as they used to be, that doesn't mean Twitter has gone downhill, it means your friend has. (Or his use of Twitter has, anyway-- he may still be a cool dude otherwise.)

Another way you COULD argue it has changed is if you are a celeb hunter. People like Stephen Fry used to befriend all who befriended him, but come 50,000 he couldn't do it any more, so for celeb hunters a certain intimacy may have been lost.. poor them.

I must admit, I don't celeb hunt arbitrarily or through fan-desire. I do find some celebs, be they used to speaking about themselves or simply because lifestyle gives them variation to chat on, are quite interesting. Not all. Juliet Landau (Buffy) will limit hers to "gym", yet Christopher Walken genuinely makes me laugh.

As for them being PR'd - I actually don't think many of them are. I must admit I don't follow many American ones, but the British "celebs" tend to cross twitter personally, that doesn't strike me of a PR business - though celebs do use them to promote stuff they do themselves. You'll find Jonathan Ross, Jimmy Carr, David Baddiel, Richard Herring and Stephen Fry all tweeting at each other. All are verified as being official - and they are interesting to read. Though William Shatner uses his purely to plug his show, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was sometimes his people. It's pick and choose as to who interests you.

So the celeb thing can be quite interesting. And informative. Robert Llewellyn (Red Dwarf) is a fascinating and funny guy - learned a lot from his tweets about electric cars.

[The Wolverine]

Another way you COULD argue it has changed is if you are a celeb hunter. People like Stephen Fry used to befriend all who befriended him, but come 50,000 he couldn't do it any more, so for celeb hunters a certain intimacy may have been lost.. poor them.


I'll give ya that.

As I stated in an earlier post, I do follow some celebrities, mostly musicians like Dave Matthews and Mike Doughty, but also admitted geeks like Wil Wheaton and Neil Gaiman.

Dave's actually quite a funny guy, but his amount of followers is insane. At last check, he has 439,096 followers. Some of them are rather creepy. But he evidentally doesn't care, because he plays along with them, only to pwn them in the end :D

So anyway... yeah. The ones who only join Twitter to stalk celebrities are annoying and have no lives. But other than that, I love it and don't see myself going away from it anytime soon.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Twitter is just the new Friendster. In a month or two using it will be the sure sign that someone is super-lame and not with it. It's already getting lame as it gets more mainstream, heck Oprah is sending twats now. The morning shows and commercials are treating it like it's the new Macarena as they painfully try to be "hip.' It'll just be a joke for late night talk show hosts and The Soup soon.

[defunctzombie]

I had to explain what twitter was to my mom last night because the beauty pageant was making a big deal out of the losers using it.

What ever happened to books taking up people's spare time? :shrug:

[Daxdiv]

I had to explain what twitter was to my mom last night because the beauty pageant was making a big deal out of the losers using it.

What ever happened to books taking up people's spare time? :shrug:

I blame the internet for that.:p

[defunctzombie]

I blame the internet for that.:p
Ha, true. But I'll keep my books until they make the internet a self sustaining power source. :D

[thedanmachine]

I use it a bit, mainly because a few of my friends use it. However I tend to use it alot less than they do and only update it every few days.

[Darklordavaitor]

Have one but hardly ever use it, even then, mainly to have Dave Mustaine on it.

You want my Twitter? Here it is. (http://twitter.com/AvaitorX)

[.bg]

I have finally joined the ranks of the Twitterverse: http://twitter.com/ItsGeezer

Background and avatar both made by me.

[DisneyFan]

I am still relatively new at this. I'm more of a "Facebook" kind of guy but you guys can add me if ya want.

http://twitter.com/Yankeefan82

[Sketch]

I've had a Twitter account for a little while now. Some days I post nothing other days I post a lot. But I find I'm more verbose than it allows so it doesn't defeat the purpose of a blog or a message board for me. So it's a bit redundant but can be fun too.

http://www.twitter.com/sketchor

[Flame Alchemist]

The reason why people seem to have Twitter accounts but don't is because by default, the Twitter username box is filled with your username. Before I changed it to my real Twitter username (thebeatles94), it put it Max Goof as my Twitter account. The board software just assumes you have a Twitter account with the same username as TZ.

Twitter is really pointless, but sometimes I post random things. It's also really helpful with dealing with customer service. More and more companies are setting up Twitter accounts to directly help their customers.

A lot of famous people have them... Adam Savage, Leo Laporte, Rainn Wilson...

[Mynd Hed]

It's also really helpful with dealing with customer service. More and more companies are setting up Twitter accounts to directly help their customers.

Now that you mention it, I've heard a lot of stories of people who happened to complain about a company they're having problems with on Twitter, having the company's twitterbots alert them to it and wound up getting much better customer service through Twitter than they would have otherwise.

This is probably just a temporary benefit as Twitter is currently this new, experimental thing to them and hence they're putting their best people on it to figure out how to best use it for PR purposes, but still, it's nice if true.

I haven't had any major customer service complaints since starting my Twitter account so I've never tried it. (-:

[The Wolverine]

A lot of famous people have them... Adam Savage, Leo Laporte, Rainn Wilson...
Yeah, to have Dave Matthews on my "following" list was pretty much the only reason I got one.

Then I found Wil Wheaton, Neil Gaiman and a couple other people relevant to my interests... and then it went from there.