Reconsidering Writing a blog post about how I don't get the whole Twitter thing

UPDATE: As I talk to more people, I'm slowly warming to Twitter. I might sign up to better evaluate it. But I'll let my original thoughts stand for now:

I don't grok the appeal of Twitter. Can you help me understand?

In case you haven't heard of the popular service (so popular that the company can't keep up with demand), here's Wikipedia's opening graf about Twitter:

Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that simply encourages members to answer the question: "What are you doing?" It allows users to send "Twits" (updates or posts) via SMS, instant messaging, the Twitter website or an application such as Twitterrific. Users can receive updates from other selected users via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, an application or RSS.

Why would you want to communicate the minutiae of your daily life? Why would you want to be pestered with messages regarding others' mundane existence? I'm sure there are good reasons, but I can't see them through my personal fog of incredulity.

Julia Schrenkler told me about this site, Twittervision.com, a mashup that allows you to see real-time Twitter messages from around the world. I admit it's a bit of voyeuristic pleasure, but the messages I just saw fly by do nothing to dispel my growing feeling that Twitter is a bizarre waste of time.

"Katie is up and we're playing with her musical toys" (I add: Uh, no, your kid is playing with toys while you're writing Twitter messages. Nice.)

"First meeting with marketing people (madness)" (I add: I know another kind of madness.)

"Battling RSI" (I add: Doctor, it hurts when I Twitter!)

"Scratching my back" (I add: This message came from central Mexico. Why oh why do I want to know that some woman in central Mexico is scratching her back, and how can she be scratching her back and Twittering at the same time?)

Do you use Twitter? Please justify yourself in the comments section.

UPDATE: I just had a very nice phone conversation with a Twitter user. Minneapolis IT manager Aaron Landry was generous enough to spend some time educating me about the appeal of Twitter. Look for his comments on an upcoming Future Tense. I will also post a summary of his thoughts here as time permits. I should have expected this -- Aaron Twittered our interview right after he hung up the phone.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I just finished talking with blogger Rex Sorgatz about why he likes Twitter. His comments will be included in the Future Tense segment as well. Rex told me I should try Twitter, and that he would be my Twitter friend. In my best Mr. Rogers voice I ask, Won't you be by friend, too?

Okay, Jon, you are making me laugh with your "Mystery Science Theater 3000"-esque comments on Twittervision updates.

I don't currently use Twitter. Maybe we can think of it like a hammer; it can be incredibly useful, moderately useful, or entirely the wrong tool. It isn't up to me to say these people are using Twitter inappropriately... I just don't find it useful to me. The minutiae of my daily life is less than entrancing to me, can't imagine sharing it. Then again watching Twittervision is like speedeavesdropping. People are messy, funny, and whatever they are at the time they click [submit].

Like you, I would like to hear from Twitterers (is that a word?!) for their take.

I think it's a way for people who are all alone to pretend that they're not for a few minutes.