March 14, 2007 | Read Time: 1 minute
Some nonprofit bloggers are trying to figure out what Internet innovations will become the next MySpace or YouTube — Web sites that can ultimately become social-networking tools for nonprofit organizations.
The latest approach drawing attention is Twitter, a site in which users tell each other what they are doing.
John Edwards, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for President, uses Twitter. Mr. Edwards will tell visitors where he is at a given minute — and what he’s up to.
But the early buzz among nonprofit bloggers would suggest that Twitter is more of a distraction than a tool.
Nonprofit Online News links to a post by Michael Gilbert that talks about the pros and cons of Twitter.
While Mr. Gilbert sees Twitter as being useful for people attending large conferences or for those who want to set up a system of time accountability, he also sees it as a distraction that can take busy people away from what they should be doing.
“As a source of even more social interruption, Twitter is problem,” Mr. Gilbert writes. “Unfortunately, that aspect will probably overwhelm the other benefits. I see Twitter as another Blackberry, interrupting people who are in the midst of other tasks or even other conversations in a way that undermines deeper connection with our work and with each other.”
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