On the other hand, I understand Clif completely. There is the phenomenon of having the tool first then creating the demand. I feel that Twitter sort of falls into that category. I used it a number of times until I got several tweets about so and so heating up noodles in the microwave or so and so folding laundry.

It reminds me that I too have lunch to eat and laundry to fold. And work to do, books to read, kids to play with, friends to have a drink with, a dog to walk, etc. I am not doing all those things particularly well.

So I more or less quit tweeting.

@arduous It’s easier to do from IM and mobile? ;) You can also set Twitter up to update your FB status so you achieve both at the same time.

This is true of so much that we do and the first thing that someone will say who is addicted. It’s no accident that the word “Crackberry” is in use. Every retailer knows that the biggest hurdle is getting the potential customer in the store. My initial comment was not just for you but to try to counter your post for others who might be reading.

The question people ask is how did we get in the fix we are in with so much stress. It is because it is easy and appealing to do what everyone else is doing. It’s hard to buck trends and Twitter is THE THING right now.

My appeal is: don’t add another layer. It is hard to resist but if you don’t it is extremely hard to get out of it. A service like Twitter is doubly seductive because it seems so harmless, seems to ask so little of our time, isn’t a product that consumes any material thing.

The comments on FPF are 99% positive. You have a dedicated following, including me, and whatever you put on your blog you can be almost certain of generous applause from the gallery. I’m glad you visualized me when you were writing the Twitter piece and I hope my arguments will remain with you in case you should change your mind.

But here’s the thing… as I said, Twitter is what you make of it. It can contribute to info overload, but it doesn’t have to. Some people can drink responsibly (I don’t know if I ever can) and some people can Twitter responsibly. It remains to be seen. (Seems like Green Bean has the right idea.)

Arduous, Twittering is different from updating your FaceBook status, although you can link the two together somehow and one can update the other. Imagine one place where everyone’s FaceBook statuses spoke to one another and answered each others’ questions. And where FaceBook statuses were archived in a feed so that you could follow what someone cared to share during the day and look up previous messages. It’s different. You’ll see.

As for peer pressuring you, all I can say is muhahahahahaha! My powers are limitless!

I’m with you on the retreat to the serenity of nature, Beth, but Twitter seems like madness. Why would anyone want to be constantly available? Cellphones, email overload, more than enough information to overwhelm on the Net and now continual tweets?

I propose an anti-Twitter, possible names: E-Blok, iOff, ZapOut, where all electronic communication is muted automatically for at least 30 minutes when stress level is detected over a certain level.

I deliberately restrict my emails to my friends because I don’t want to add to their E-load unless it is something of some importance.

I think being constantly “in touch” can be addictive, a kind of stimulation that can build to unhealthy levels where we are never more than seconds from distraction, in cyberspace more and more and in the actual physical world around us less and less…multitasking disorder…maybe it will be in the next edition of the DSM V?

I think I’m lactose intolerant.