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These days, you can’t browse the web without finding a link to Twitter. It seems everyone has a Twitter account… yes, I do to. The only reason I registered for Twitter account is to find out what the fuss is about.

For those of you who last got on the net in 2005, let’s just recap what Twitter is.

Twitter’s official definition of itself is as follows:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Wikipedia calls Twitter:

…a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users’ updates known as tweets”.

Personally, I find Twitter to be a highly overrated product with minimal if not zero innovation value. In it’s very essence, Twitter is nothing more than a global short message broadcasting system sandwiched between the social networking loaves of being followed and following others.

After Googling more about Twitter; I’ve been converted from a skeptic to a die hard believer. I’m absolutely certain that Twitter is the best thing that happened to mankind since rubber tires. Read on to find out why.

• Twitter can help your online business. Wow! Why stop there? I’m sure it can help with your offline businesses as well.
• Twitter makes you a better writer, claims Copyblogger. However, judging from the huge majority of Tweets floating on the net; I have a hard time convincing myself that this is true.
• Twitter can boost your social news profile. This of course assumes you have one in the first place.
• Twitter can rescue you from customer service line waits. No wonder TM/Digi/Maxis/U Mobile/insert your favourite Malaysian telco customer service sucks… they don’t use Twitter!
• And by far the best contribution by Twitter to mankind: Twitter can make you a better and happier person! I’m not going to argue about that!

Of course we all know that with the great powers bestowed upon us by Twitter; there are bound to be a dark side to this saviour of humanity. I have to be fair and list the bad along with the good.

• Twitter can be generally dangerous claims Cracked.com as you might not be able to say what you really want due to the 140 character limit for your Tweets.
• Twitter can be corrosive to Online Marketing. Strange… I found Internet Marketers to be the most active spammers users of Twitter.
• Twitter can be bad for journalism. Let’s face it; who needs stinkin’ newspapers when we have Twitter?!
• Twitter can make you immoral. Before you laugh; this is scientifically proven (or so the article claims)! I’m surprised that none of our Jabatan Agamas have issued a fatwa against Twitter!
• I’ve saved the worst for last; Twitter can hurt your brain!

Hmmm… now I’m not so sure about Twitter anymore. Back to square one I guess.

Will I be using it more? I don’t think so… I might as well use the status update thingy on Facebook; at least there’s about a million other things I can do there as well.