Jay Harris is Cpt. LoadTest

A question was posed on LinkedIn asking readers if they used Twitter, and if so, how and why? Because of the impact that Twitter has had on my life, I felt compelled to answer.

Twitter is a phenomenal tool that I feel should be included in any developer's toolset. I use Twitter for both business and personal reasons, including socializing with friends, scheduling lunch, and also for networking with business associates. There is a lot of value in having a consolidated service through which I can plan both happy hour and a business meeting. I have also made many new business contacts through the service, and the personal nature of Twitter communications have created relationships that are much more solid than those from other services, such as LinkedIn. When I travel to a conference such as devLink or Codestock, I often meet these twitter contacts for the first time, yet the bond that has matured on Twitter makes it seem like we have been friends for a long time.

In addition to networking, Twitter is effective with asking questions and getting quick responses (similar to what was on LinkedIn), or for driving traffic to my blog by promoting when there is a new post.

I access Twitter four different ways: through Witty on my primary computer, directly through the web when not at my primary computer, through Twitterific on my iPod Touch, or through SMS on my phone. The possibilities allow me to stay connected wherever I go. I have a presence on many of the social networks, too, such a Pownce, Jaiku, and Identi.ca, but I rely on Twitter. I can't live without it.

Do you Twitter? How do you use Twitter? How has it had an impact on you?