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Like so many social networks we use, twitter is inhabited and most effectively used by bloggers, marketers and obviously people with something to sell.

Is it better to be critical of Web 2.0, or to follow mindlessly the trend to “lifestream ourselves until time runs out”? How many hours do you spend either “working” twitter or FF or mindlessly broadcasting your coffee breaks to whomever? The bottom line for many in evaluating anything is knowing what is in it for them. As for Twitter and the like, what do you think the basis for its popularity is? What is in Twitter for you?

Is Popularity King?

Well sure it is, but why are things popular? Because YOU go there? The answer is obvious in that the “wisdom of the crowd” is always in effect. However, even though the chicken came after the egg in this case, let’s take a look at a random sampling of Twitter users from the front page to see if we can capture what their Twitter experience is about.

Current Users and Their Twitter Stimuli

Graywolf – Michael Gray is on any number (actually every) social network I know of. He is an SEO, marketing and Web development expert. Michael responded to LisaBarone – “I just go with her legal name she loves that”. Taken out of context, God knows what that is about, but it is apparent that Michael has made extensive use of the Twitter connection for his various SEO activities. Just as an aside (and interestingly) LisaBarone is none other than Lisa Barone – Head Writer and Community Builder at We Build Pages, a well known Internet Marketing Service.

kgurski – Kelsie is the editor of Voice at sj-r.com, The State Journal Register of Springfield, Illinois. Evidently Kelsie is a grad student, her last entry was Twitterclassic material; “Today is going to be great! I turn in my master’s project at noon, then drinks after work. Just this pesky work thing to deal with.” Recent past Twits indicate using Twitter for work via tiny url – http://www.sj-r.com/breaking/x776480690/Attorney-US-Rep-Jesse-Jackson-is-Candidate-5

Jsmoot12 – Joshua is Director of marketing at Wave Direct, a direct marketing firm. Wow, director of marketing for marketing, marketing via Twitter. Imagine that? Nice Website by the way!

Marketing, marketing and marketing and still more ideas and stories of, you guessed it, marketing.

Breezeway – Ken is another marketing/entrepreneur using twitter to lifestream, not exactly. From Ken’s Twitter profile; Coach, health, wealth, skin care, nutrition, mangosteen, home based business, green, sustainability, 7% of every Xango bottle donated to Operation Kids!!! I applaud Ken for donating proceeds to kids BTW. Just for that Ken, here is a prominent link to the product site. I should also note that a single 750ml flask of Xango is only 28.57 Euro for the German market where I live. Use of tiny url to Xango site… dominant.

jedjedi – jedjedi is evidently the least marketing oriented of these random Twitter profiles as he/she appears to be only marketing a website under construction. Still, using Twitter to further one’s aspirations as a methodology and primary reason for being “there” holds true for many. This Twitter profile page is full of nothing but news briefs, strange.

Holy Toledo – Selling to the Sellers

This random selection of Twitter users from the “everyone” tab of my home page is certainly not conclusive proof that Twitter is nothing more than a marketing convention on wheels. However, I think anyone can do a similar experiment and I actually defy anyone to produce 5 consecutive Twitter profiles that actually have NO marketing involved.

Just so the reader knows, I actually grabbed 10 random profiles, but the remainder were so uninteresting as to not be worth relating. Of the other 5, 3 were essentially profiles used to send traffic to personal blogs, 1 was some hoochie from Palo Alto with God knows what intent, and the last was Svetlana Gladkova, my former managing editor at Profy sending her 1800 or so followers links to Profy articles.

My contention about Twitter is that like so many social networks we use, it is inhabited and most effectively used by bloggers, marketers and obviously people with something to sell. In a broad sense, selling ourselves to other people is what we do here on Earth. The point is, if we are so busy selling ourselves, just how much actual creative or constructive value are we adding to our lives and to those around us? The argument could be that getting traffic to one’s ventures is business, but for the millions who go to Twitter for other reasons, does the water look muddy?

When Did We All Become Shameless Advertisers?

At birth? To an extent, yes we are all ad men in life. Selling our skills, goods, those of others, ideas and even suggesting our lives as models for other living beings. The problem with Twitter, and for Web 2.0 in general, is our apparent inability to see how ridiculous our activities are.

People like Pete Cashmore and other big time bloggers maintaining Twitter gibberish is not ridiculous. They are just going where the market is. However, the huddled masses that these marketing titans are trying to reach may not even be the “public” they perceive resides on Twitter and others. We are in effect, selling our goods to people selling the same goods. Where is John Q Public in this equation? Probably at home playing football with his kids or doing dishes.

Real Value for the Real World

Since I embarked on this Web 2.0 journey about 3 years ago, I have been searching for innovations and people striving to provide real value in people’s lives. Many had this dream what came to be termed Web 2.0. Things like online TV, advanced search engines and other technological developments that could help make the Web more educational – still provide some hope that a new era of communication is at hand.

So far, hope is about all that any development has produced however. I know many extraordinary people who strive every day to produce services and technology that enhances life, but for the most part they all end up at Twitter trying to attract attention. Visions are lost, people become bored and cynical and false hopes are fueled by imaginary friends selling yet another bill of goods to one another. Perhaps the reason no one has yet toppled Google from their loft search peak is because too many people are engaged in gossip on Twitter and contributing nothing to find solutions to this and other possible achievements?

What’s In It for You?

I wonder how many people can answer this question based in part on what I have pointed out? In my opinion, every Twitter user would feel more rewarded by downloading the Search Wikia tool bar and rating or suggesting search results. At least they would be helping build something. Newspaper people have always known the power of names. People love to see their names printed. This is all Twitter is, a gossip channel where feigned interest resides.

The real interest of the most predominant Twitter user is self promotion in one way or another. Where is the value for YOU in that? Well, unless you can figure out how to monetize the hundreds of hours spent garnering support. As for Web 3.0, well this ideal is still a long way off. At least until we drag ourselves out of the quagmire that is currently social networking. Until we can do that, check me out on Twitter if you need a real friend.