textually active: how do you get YOUR news?

I'm in my broadcasting night class, and unfortunately we'll be watching Veronica Mars tonight instead of the presidential debate, so I'll have to cnn.com it up when I get home from class. But thankfully, I have Twitter to keep me posted!

Do you Twitter?



Twitter's official website describes it as a "social networking and microblogging service utilising instant messaging, SMS or a web interface."

Basically, it's like Facebook's "status updates." Via Twitter, anyone can say whatever they want in 140 characters or less, and potentially reach thousands of people in seconds. You can opt to receive your friends' updates via text message, and can update your Twitter using your cell phone as well. For those who follow thousands (or don't have unlimited text messaging), they can read their friends' updates on a streaming page on the web.

So why am I talking about Twitter?

It's become a huge platform for everyone--regular people like you and me, businesses and marketing professionals, bloggers, whoever--but the presidential candidates have been using Twitter to reach their audiences as well. Twitter's ELECTION 2008 page (Check it out! Very interesting) has a constant stream of people from around the world sharing news or stories, or giving their commentary on the goings-on this election season. In addition, Barack Obama and John McCain each have their own Twitter accounts (I only follow BarackObama), and send their followers updates on their wherabouts or breaking news, or whatever's going on.

And yes, even GOD Twitters (so does Satan!).



My Twitter stream this evening:

BarackObama: At Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. Watch the debate tonight at 9pm ET. Reply with your thoughts after.

Charlotte: @BarackObama damn dude i'm in class but counting on twitter bugs to keep me posted!

Jaley: Not watching the debate. Obama already won in my heart. and McCain makes me want to tear out my hair...I like my hair. I want to keep it.

Charlotte: @Jaley Of course obama has my vote but I need more fuel for my blogs and want to see what the mav camp will come up with next!

Jaley: @Charlotte All you need to know for tonight's debate: A maverick is an unbranded range animal, especially a motherless calf

Julie: Gee, I keep finding my middle finger popping up and this debate is only twenty minutes long so far

God: McCain has bigger jowls than a pitbull. Oh yeah, and he's also a liar.

God: McCain is NOT your friend. He keeps saying "my friends". He doesn't mean it. Oh yeah, and he doesn't understand economics.

Jaley: I've found @God, and he is RIGHT!

Charlotte: @God? Are you there?

God: McCain reminds me of Harvey Keitel in "Bad Lieutenant".

Jaley: Someone let me know if McCain actually smears Obama on stage... i hear it's getting heated.

Angelique: Mccain makes me sick

God: Obama is a cool cat. As you all know, I can be pretty vengeful at times.

God: "My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, My friends, I am normally not this mild-mannered!"

Jaley: There are a lot of frustrated sighs echoing throughout our corner of the universe... Can you hear teeth grinding?

God: @Charlotte i am

Jaley: @Charlotte OMG! @GOD SPOKE TO YOU!

Collin: Do we want to have our president lead from a hospital bed or a crib?

God: BREAKING: McCain and Obama both agree that genocide is generally not a good thing!

Angelique: John, why are you so vague?

Jaley: Is it time @satan to call McCain home?





Updates from the Election 2008 Twitter feed:

whelski: Mccains website says Obama offered more of the same tonite. Funny. I'd call that consistancy.

sarahgirgis: pretty sure that McCain's not my friend and wishes he'd stop referring to himself as such

d2k: Pat Buchanan likes Obama. We must be at the end times.

rosshill: The McCain Answer Process: Talk about the Army, bag Obama, sidestep the question - time's up!

Palin_McSame: @berlin FOX news callers voted 85% in favor of McCain as Debate Winner...surprise surprise, dontchaknow!




Journalist and blogger Ana Marie Cox (Time, Radar, author, and founding editor of Wonkette) on the debate:

anamariecox: McCain to Obama: "no have time for on the job training" -- UNLESS we're talking about vice-presidents. Then it's vital. And our only hope.

anamariecox: Obama holds his mic with the relaxed grip of a mega church pastor. McCain grips it like a dying man.

anamariecox: The "telegraph," of course, is the form of telecommunications that McCain is most familiar with.

anamariecox: Nicolle Wallace, responding to q's about McCain's "that one" remark called Obama's team "the fussiest campaign in American history."


Someone created Obama's new campaign logo, thanks to John McCain's comment:


What a great sport The Mav is!


So, I haven't even watched the debate yet, but I know so much about how it went down, thanks to Twitter and the internet.

I love all this.