Social networking has boomed in recent years – indeed, it is virtually the very definition of "Web 2.0" – yet not all social networking tools are as popular as others. Some of them, such as Facebook and Twitter, are quite common topics of conversation. However, they don’t receive the same attention for the same reasons – while "everyone" has a Facebook account and has tried at achieving the Bejeweled Blitz high score, society is divided on the usefulness of Twitter.

In fact, go ask someone what they think of Twitter. Invariably, they will tell you that they "don’t see the point" or "that’s what Facebook is for". Others will brush it off as a marketing tool, and still others will complain about it as a "way for nerds to talk about what they have for lunch". As a result of my own personal investigations, I’ve received all of these responses in the past week – and more. But why is that? Is Twitter really all that crap, or is it just misunderstood?

Before I take the hard line, I will add a little disclaimer to say that it is what it is – if it’s not something that sounds like it works for you, then it’s not going to be something you enjoy – much like anything else. However – I am firm in my assertion that Twitter is misunderstood.

Twitter has defined itself as a micro-blogging platform – a way to share information in 140 characters or less, as well as photos, links, and so on. But that in itself is hard for people to understand, and therefore many people envision a tool that is dedicated to something that resembles Facebook updates – and to many users, that’s exactly what it is, unfortunately. But you don’t have to follow them, and you don’t have to use it that way yourself (in fact, please don’t – it really annoys me when some people feel they have to report in any time they do anything).

In reality, Twitter is kind of like Internet-SMS to multiple recipients. Anyone that follows you will receive your update, anyone that uses the right search term can locate your update – and if people are watching never-ending streams, they might be lucky enough to come across what you had to say.

And in the end, having something to say is the most important thing. The usefulness of Twitter really depends on what you feel needs to be said – and many companies DO misuse it as a marketing tool. But again – you don’t have to follow them, so you don’t have to receive their updates. There are a lot of people out there with a lot of good things to say – from thoughtful quotes, to funny little jokes, to news updates on virtually any topic you can think of – Twitter is a ticking tape of up-to-date information… If that’s what you want. It’s a way of following trends, finding new sites, or following a celebrity that you find interesting. In some ways, it’s possibly the fastest news source available, but on the other hand, it can also be the least trustworthy.

One of the best little quotes I’ve heard from fellow Twitter-defenders is this: "Facebook is for your friends, Twitter is for people you want to be friends with" – and it’s true. Using Facebook, you can set up your online identity and share it with the world in the way you want to – but it’s mainly a way to keep in touch with friends and family. The "I just ate an awesome kebab" update can work here, because people that know you can comment based on their experiences with you. Twitter doesn’t quite work that way – sure, some people post that kind of thing, but unless it comes with a link to the shop, or a picture of said awesome kebab, I’m not likely to follow that person for much longer…

Back on Facebook, you’ll find that most bands or what-not have their own page – which is a good reason not to follow their Twitter feed (which will invariably be the same). To be honest, I don’t follow many bands or companies, because most of the time it is just a marketing tool, as mentioned earlier – or alternatively you’ll be inundated with tour dates for countries you aren’t in. I follow people like Weird Al Yankovic, who often posts quirky little comments or funny pics (along with the odd personal plug, but who doesn’t?).

On a slightly different note, something else that annoys me – all of the "Follow us on Twitter" links on so many websites. It’s fine for individuals, but depending on how it’s used, it doesn’t often work for sites as a whole (but I have found the odd site that does it well). Twitter should be personal – blogs tend to post links to their site on Twitter, and if you are a fan of the site, you don’t need to follow their feed.

Basically, Twitter is not what people think it is, and the arguments levelled against it are based on a limited understanding of it’s usefulness (however – it is true that Twitter isn’t the most useful Internet application on the planet). For me, it’s another way to navigate the Internet – in fact, the majority of information I read on my feed is new to me (i.e., I don’t run into it during my regular dealings with the ‘net)… In a way, it’s a little like Stumbleupon, yet somewhat less random – and I haven’t even touched on Twitter searches in this post.

Regarding the arguments against Twitter – the point is, it’s not as straightforward as other tools. It’s far nerdier than Facebook, and as such is not really going to appeal to society as a whole. You really need to manage your feed well and follow people you find interesting. You also need to cull people on a fairly regular basis – someone you find interesting at first may very well get on your nerves. And finally… you need to stick with it. At first, you won’t know who to follow and it will seem like a waste of time. As time goes on, however, you’ll come across interesting comments retweeted by friends, and you might start following their feed – and another and another and another.

Maybe I’m just a Twitter fanboy trying to stick up for something I feel to be unfairly unloved by society, but I really feel that Twitter can be fun and useful for a lot of people. Maybe not you, but the same goes for a lot of Internet tools – many people use Digg, and conversely, many people don’t (I don’t), but you rarely hear any negativity about it around the water cooler… If you don’t like it – don’t use it! If you’ve never tried, give it a go. You never know – it might just work for you. Or not.