Asides vs. Twitter
Sep 21, 2008 Blogging
I’ve noticed that there are two major “mini-blogging” (I don’t know the correct/standard term for this) methods people use: Twitter, and Asides. Asides isn’t a third-party site like Twitter; I think it’s actually a plugin for Wordpress, but I’m not 100% sure (see Jem and Amber for examples). I know there are other methods out there like Tumblr, but I’m not going to go into those.
The reason why I bring this up is because I’m curious why some people use Twitter while other simply choose to use a Wordpress plugin, as I’m now debating which one I should use. I’m currently with Twitter right now, but I like the idea of having these mini-posts as an actual part of my site (as opposed to just downloading the feed and having it show up on the sidebar) and allowing readers to comment regardless of whether or not they have a Twitter account.
On the other hand, I like the social aspect of Twitter, where people can follow you and you can follow them, though I feel like I’m not really putting that feature to much use.
Anyways, my question for you guys is: Which do you use, and why? Comments much appreciated. 
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 am
Loving the new layout, girl! I know, it’s probably so belated, but I haven’t here in a while. Heheh. Anyhoo, I use both Twitter and the Asides plugin — the more exposure the better, I say.
Ai~s last blog post..New links and site redesign
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:45 am
I actually just use twitter. I never thought about using the asides plugin before - it’s actually quite a good idea! I love twitter because it’s so social, like you said. I can have conversations on there without having to email the person!
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
@ Ang:
I think the social feature of Twitter is probably the reason why so many people use it. But the thing is, I’ve yet to actually have a conversation with anyone over Twitter yet. :/
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
@ Ai~:
Thanks! I’m actually thinking about using both myself. Is the one you have displayed on your sidebar Twitter or Asides?
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Mine’s not a plugin, I just created a category for it, and then exclude that category from the front page.
Jems last blog post..On Web Page Reviewing, etc
September 22nd, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I’ve started to look into Tumblr. I think it’s just the ease of use. You don’t have to fuss as much about plugins, and I know from Tumblr you can email and txt your entries instead of having to login through the website… convenience.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I like using the firefox plugin for twitter actually… it makes everything a lot faster as well without having to log into my twitter account. I also use the option to text my status from my phone.
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:18 am
@Mimi: Mine’s actually just the asides plugin.
Ai~s last blog post..New links and site redesign
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Don’t forget there’s Plurk too. It’s just like Twitter. Which is why I’m using asides like Jem’s. That way I don’t have to choose between those two. Yay linkblog capability.
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
@ Jem: Ah, I see. I saw a tutorial teaching you how to do that in the WP Codex, but being the lazy ass I am, I stuck with the plugin. :/
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
@ Skye:
You can text your entries to Twitter as well. I’m not complaining about the inconveniences of Twitter, as a matter of fact, I find it a lot more convenient than using the Asides feature. I’d just prefer something to be more integrated into my blog, hence why I’m using Asides now. People can leave comments without having to leave my site and signup for a Twitter account.
I do have a Tumblr account though, and it’s fun to play around with. :3
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:00 pm
@ Stephanie:
I’m a little confused. I have a Plurk account, and I know it’s like Twitter, but I don’t quite understand what you meant by not having to choose between Plurk and asides. :/ Explanation greatly appreciated!
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
@Mimi: Whoa, that e-mail thing is confusing. I almost didn’t get that you commented here rather than e-mailed me personally. Anyway, it’s really more of a way to avoid choosing. I can’t decide if I want to join Plurk or Twitter. Plurk has a group of people I’m trying to get more involved with, whereas Twitter has a group of people already there that I find myself communicating with outside of Twitter anyway. And I really wanted SOME way to post small things every once in a while — though I’m specifically narrowing the asides to links right now. So in order to delay the decision between joining the Plurk community or the Twitter community, I am using asides for the time being.
Does that make more sense?
September 24th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I actually do the same thing as Jem outlined in one of her posts because plug-ins for asides seem to be a bit heavier than they need to be.
I don’t use Twitter, although I do have an account there. It’s too slow, often times won’t even add my update and has a limit for the amount of text you can write at a time, so I prefer asides for the amount of control I have over it.
Also, I meant to say this when we traded Quilting Bee patches, but I adore your site design. Very easy on the eyes!
September 24th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
@ Amber:
I saw the post on Jem’s site, but when I first tried it, it didn’t quite work for some reason, and I got tired of trying. So far this plugin has worked fine, and it wasn’t listed as one of the items that slowed down the loading time for my site (did a check-up today).
Twitter used to be slow for me too, but now it actually shows up right after I post, and I like the idea of being able to put random thoughts at random times without thinking “omgz I’m spamming my readers”. :3
Thanks for the comment! Kudos to BlogohBlog (the original designer) for coming up with the theme. I really like your designs as well, and you actually made yours (unlike me)!
September 24th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
@ Stephanie:
Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you with it. o_o It’s actually a Firefox plugin for Wordpress that allows me to email and reply on the site at the same time. Thanks for your explanation! I understand now.
BTW, I tried Plurk, and I like the time line and karma feature. But then again, I think I’d find it hard to use both Plurk and Twitter at the same time.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
[...] idea of this post came from Stephanie’s comment. I’ve always read on the WWW that it was good to reply to comments because it promotes [...]