Twitter got to the stage where it's a sort of "everyperson's tool" a while ago. For the most part, FF still seems 'restricted' to social media types. - Cyvros/fyc
I don't agree with you Dave. The people here are earlier adopters and are people who want to have great conversations, rather than just push messages at people. - Robert Scoble
I think Dave and Robert are both right! On FF we get more into discussions, even if sometimes hairballs are flying all other the place! lol But still there are many Social Media and SEO professionals who have not come to FF yet and hanging out on Twitter. - Igor The Troll
I think comparing friend feed to twitter is like comparing a desktop to a laptop. Sure both are computers and can do a lot of the same things, but they were designed with different purposes. I think FF and twitter are the opposite of what Scoble says. - Patrick Tulskie
Dave: you need to visit the "Everyone" tab. There's a TON of non geeks here. I just don't "Like" their posts, so you don't see them. There's also a very active non-geek community that writes only in Farsi but I don't translate them either. Speaking of which, wasn't this a slam against our blogs at one point? I seem to remember people used to say this kind of stuff about those back in 2001. - Robert Scoble
Yeah you should read all of what I said, not just this one bit. I agree with Patrick, totally. I said the best system would be a combination of both. - Dave Winer
Personally, I think that FF is better as a true "micro blog" because of the nature of leaving comments, where as twitter is more of a STATUS update blast to your friends. - Ron Acierno
You guys missed the whole irony of a Twitter message showing up in FriendFeed where we're now discussing it. Dave: you should have posted some URLs so you could connect all your discussions together here. I'll do that in the next post. - Robert Scoble
The key difference is twitter is a very low friction system. I can post things without fear. They go out to just those who have agreed to follow me. Here I inject myself into a conversation. By nature I am therefore more cautious and thoughtful about what I write. There is more friction and in a small way that creates a more thoughtful discussion. - Joel Ordesky
Another thing is that I haven't learned how to use FF yet. Not that I haven't put in the time. There are just vast areas I have yet to explore, like the Everyone tab (per Scoble's recommendation). I wasn't slamming anyone Robert -- I'm actually just trying to figure it out, and I'm confused along with most other people, imho. - Dave Winer
Not only wrong, but somewhat of a "jerky" statement. What's next, Twitter users are also "more pretty and popular?" Seriously, I don't get it. Edit: After seeing what you wrote above, don't you think that you could have said: "I'm not seeing as diverse items on FriendFeed as I am on Twitter, what am I doing wrong?" Instead of sounding like a troll to those of us on FriendFeed? - Vince DeGeorge
By using FriendFeed it's not like you are missing out on Twitter. That is the genius of FF. - Michael Narciso
Joel: funny thing is I see a lot of people's Tweets here. I don't get what you are saying at all. But let me try this another way: I've noticed that the half-life of a conversation on Twitter is about four minutes. On FriendFeed? One conversation can go on for hours. Far different. Maybe it's this that you're noticing. - Robert Scoble
I think Dave is probably right regarding the diversity. Although if one's idea of a "diverse" conversation is one in which both identi.ca and Plurk are mentioned, FriendFeed is OK. I wonder which service has more discussions of Miley Cyrus, American Idol, and the Federal Reserve Board. Will check... - Ontario Emperor via fftogo
The conversation is here ... 'nuff said? - David Weiner
Personally, I enjoy FriendFeed more. The conversations are much better, no 140 character limit, and you are not limited to only twitter, as you can access other services - Grant
nah, friendfeed i can spy on conversations, twitter i can only watch people eating hotdogs - gregory lent
Twitter is bright...so is the headlight of a train... - J.T Dabbagian
People on FriendFeed are more interested in the conversation so that makes them more interesting. It's like when you are dating- the more they like you the more you like them. - Sarah Austin
Yes Robert that is the essence of what I meant. Things here are less ephemeral. Even the tweets become more solid and lasting here. - Joel Ordesky
more downtime at Twitter downtime will change this - Bjorn Tipling
Twitter is fine for throwaway lines, but I find I get more sense of the conversation with Friendfeed. - Craig Thomler
FF is more like a mail list and they're famous for flaming out. This one is right on the edge of flaming out right now. In all the time I've used Twitter, it's never flamed out once (AFAIK). - Dave Winer
Dave - isn't it about conversation? Or is the paradox of Twitter/identi.ca talking but not listening? - David Weiner
Dave: Twitter flames out all the time. It's just that those conversations move out of sight within two minutes. Here they keep moving back into view until you hit "hide." Also, if someone is flaming you out, you just need to learn to "block" and "hide." Also, you are in control of any comment left under your name (as is the case here). If you don't like a comment you can delete it. So, if it's flaming out it's YOUR FAULT. :-) - Robert Scoble
Dave - Barack Obama HAS to consider Senator Evan Bayh as his VP. Bayh is a Democrat who has successfully won as governor and senator in the very red state of Indiana. He knows how to talk to the middle ground. Obama already has the left sewn up, he's going to need to win the middle. True, Illinois + Indiana do not provide geographic diversity, but that didn't stop Clinton-Gore in 1992. - Hutch Carpenter
Dave W. - honestly I think that Twitter is just a status update site ... It has nothing to do with conversation or it would have it organized and you would be able to leave comments on posts like on Twitter/Jaiku... ect. - Ron Acierno
I agree with Scoble re. this is a better place for real conversations. It's asinine - and increasingly more so - to refer to this "geek" hierarchy "I don't like non geeks". what does that mean? we're all people here. twitter, ff..your slicing hairs: they are are early adopters... - james svenson
I really don't think that Twitter ever thought of their site as a real micro blog that would be a tool for conversation, I just think that the users started using it that way. How can anyone even follow a conversation on twitter, there is not structure like there is here. - Ron Acierno
Twitter is not about the conversation. It's about the information. FF is about the conversation. - Nick Nichols
Twitter is a signal you do not like it, do not listen to it! Robert is a Dictator, he does not like the signal he blocks the user! - Igor The Troll
The twitter audience is more diverse and less tech savvy. more of a wide slice of life. - Rodney Rumford
Friend Feed is a discussion, you do not like the discussion do not participate! Robert is a Dictator he does not like the author he bans him to Siberia Gulag! - Igor The Troll
Nick: you're right and wrong. It's also for discussing Dave Winer's tweets. - Robert Scoble
they may be more diverse, but if I look at it from a value equation, I get far more from FF than Twitter in terms of interesting. Although to be fair, Twitter still wins as a pure networking tool - Duncan Riley
but if you comment to me here, there is nowhere that is centralized, so, another version of talking to the wind, unless you backtrack - gregory lent
It's only a matter of time before the audience on FF grows and diversifies. - Nick Dominguez
Where "brighter" = lacking the ability to really interact or challenge assumptions? No doubt this will not be seen since I made the mistake of disagreing in the past and am probably now blocked. I still like Twitter (conceptually) but got tired of being talked at - love the conversations here, even if the disagreements that sometimes occur make everyone seem a little less "bright/shiny or happy" - Marco
