I recently stumbled upon one Robert Scoble’s post about Quora being the biggest blogging innovation in 10 years, since he had been blogging for 10 years. If you ask me, I disagree with him completely. I think that Twitter is the best innovation in …well, let’s not give it a year, and say…since I came online.
I have been blogging for a year now on Ask Aaron Lee, but I started blogging back in 2006. I even had a blog about coffee which I gave it up after 120 blog posts. Before twitter I wasn’t doing anything at all. I love reading but I didn’t know who Mashable was or Tech Crunch. Most of the blogs I read were on internet marketing.
Oh I didn’t mention that I was spending a lot of time on Facebook playing games! (Yeah I was addicted to them). Then in March 2009 I found Twitter. Didn’t really know what it was, but it was called one of the social bookmarking service back then. I used it and posted some links that I like from websites and someone commented.
Who was this guy?
I had no idea, he was following me and he commented. I can’t remember what he said. We talked from time to time. He deleted his twitter account now though, and so did a lot of people who started back then. Some of them are on Facebook and I bugged them to get back on Twitter.
Long story short, I saw the potential of twitter back then. Why?
1) There are no relation boundaries, like what I have mentioned. I met people outside my circle of friends from my university, back in my home town, and of course friends that I met on Friendster. I don’t remember how I met so many people online, all I can remember is tweeting a lot and trying to follow as much people as possible (bad move).
2) Blog traffic, most of my traffic comes from Twitter because I don’t have the biggest brains in SEO. I do know how to put keywords and that’s all. I just blog. That’s all. Twitter helped me spread my blog. Earlier this year I wrote a blog post about what I had achieved in 2010.
3) I found out who was Mashable. I did say I didn’t know who Mashable was, but I found out his blog and so many other bloggers through Twitter. Without the help of Twitter I might probably only know one out of the hundreds of bloggers that I have met today. I commented on a lot of blogs too.
4) Twitter helped eliminate the boundaries with not only relationship but helped eliminate the boundaries between companies and customers. Today customers could easily tweet their favorite company. If they had any problems, they could just go on Twitter. Back in the days they might have called their customer service or emailed. Businesses are humanizing themselves too. What a trade?
5) If it wasn’t for Twitter, I won’t know who Guy Kawasaki or Robert Scoble and even Quora is.
Don’t get me wrong here, I love Quora. Just that I think it is not the biggest innovation after blogging. I don’t think Facebook is either because Facebook is limiting friends. If I didn’t have twitter I won’t be able to be friends with my followers on Facebook.
What are your thoughts guys?
I Totally Agree with you Aaron. To say that the Quora buzz was made by Tweeps, true that quora was launched last year, but it buzz and growth is totally done thanks to Twitter.
Hmm, your post made me think a lot Aaron. This Quora buzz is really interesting. As are the polarizing blogposts about it. Personally I haven’t discovered the huge value of Quora yet. I feel it is a platform I dont visit on a day to day basis. This limits it’s impact for me already. Very different to Twitter. It is missing the dynamic and ongoing conversation. Hence quora is actually a step back in comparison to twitter to me.
I just found this blog and I’ve learn a lot! great stuff, really! and like some others, could you invite me to quora? my email es: anamaria(at)latinta.net
thanks!
Totally Agree that Quora isn’t the Biggest Blogging Innovation, neither is it the NEXT SHINY BIG Social Media Thing because many people are flocking to it. Have a look at my post about Quora:
http://ank.me/ifDyvt
Really great insight, Aaron. Agreed too!
Thanks Joani 🙂
Thanks, will look into your blog post soon
No problem, will send you one soon
Hello Leon,
Indeed its missing the dynamic and ongoing conversation, some people actually preferred that as conversations aren’t as messy or busy compared to busy. They even called it “quality relationships”
Aaron
Hey man I thought you were suppose to debate with me? 😛
Good stuff- like the new look
I enjoy what you state with this Aaron. I feel that Twitter is the biggest thing right now and probably will continue to be as well. I feel that Twitter will continue to have a major impact on the blogging community and have a major force within marketing and the interactions that companies will haev with there customers. You made some very valid points.
Oh Well, I agree with you on this one!
Of course it’s nothing spectacular. Some people really go overboard with Quora.
In recent web stuff, I’m more impressed with something like Blekko.
Thanks Todd 🙂
Good to see you again here Justice,
Indeed twitter had made a big impact on the blogging community and will continue to make a big impact for a while. Unless something better than twitter comes along and Justin Bieber goes on it 😛
I have not tested blekko yet, perhaps will try it.
Don’t take Blekko as a Google Killer. Look at it more as an alternative.
Yeah, the next thing I see bigger then Twitter is a customized interface with Justin Bieber or they surround something around nothing but hashtags of some sort.
You’ve done an amazing job connecting with people on Twitter. Obviously.
Hey, I’d like to check Quora out. Can you send me an invite, Aaron?