Technology changes so fast, sometimes someone invents a tool without a function.
There's I-beer, for example, the wildly popular I-phone application which gives the appearance of drinking beer from the phone itself. This application has sold by the thousands, even though drinking an actual beer is infinitely more satisfying.
One of my favorites is Say Who, which forces you to push a number of buttons to use the application's voice-activated software. Eventually, you say the person's name and it dials the number. It takes about twice as long as, well, just dialing the number.
And then, there's Twitter, which allows me to learn about people I don't know and what they had for breakfast this morning. I, too, can share the finer points of my spiritual journey through an egg mcmuffin.
As long as it doesn't top 140 characters.
I suspect many of these technologies were invented on the notion that millions of people were clamoring for a way to have their voices heard, to rise above the din of mass media to macro-media, solving neighborhood problems, discussing issues of great importance.
Like the fact that your dog is scratching himself and looking at you funny.
Since joining Twitter, however, I've had this strange guilt set in on days when I don't tweet. Every day, a handful of people start following me, and I now feel I have some sort of duty to them, as if they've placed their faith in me to provide a periodic one-liner which will enrich their lives.
Now, I get it. I know they're following dozens of other people, too. I know that tossing out a follow is not some great honor. But I also know followers are going to read it, and I feel like I should pass along something other than current weather conditions on my patio.
All of that said, journalists have latched onto this more than perhaps any other group. And they've quickly gotten their comeuppance from Gary Trudeau. Trudeau, who's married to a journalist, creates a cartoon known as Doonsbury which is published in an ancient form of media known as a newspaper.
Trudeau has quickly pointed out that many journalists really don't have much to say either, but they insist on saying it 30 times a day anyway.
I don't entirely agree. I follow George Stephanopoulos from ABC News who frequently provides a little insight and commentary. I also follow John McCain, whose staff often provides insight and commentary.
George recently twitterviewed Senator McCain, a very long tedious experiment consisting of short questions and short answers. In fact it sort of reminded me of I-beer and Say Who.
For the record, most of my deepest insight and commentary appears right here, just about every day. But if you care to follow me on Twitter, here's the address: twitter.com/Steve_Irvin. I'll tell you what I had for breakfast this morning. And if I ever get another dog...
