I've just discovered that my brother is on Twitter, which I find odd seeing as he generally dislikes technology and conversing using the Internet...

I've never really understood the concept of Twitter. I have Facebook where I talk to friends and share photos, etc with people, do Twitter replace/duplicate this? Or does it compliment it?
I know that many of you on here are Twitter fans, I'd like to know what you thoughts are on it, why you use the site, and how you use it. It strikes me that you'd have to bee quite open, constantly telling people what you're up to....

Ben

I use Twitter in a slightly different way. Essentially, I'm still stuck in the groove of FB displaying my status (ie. I am doing this/This just happened to me) whereas Twitter I mainly use for link-sharing with a comment or general comments/remarks/rants about life/something/whatever (And trying to contain a whole coherent thought to the 140 char limit is quite good). I don't use Twitter for chatting much (unless tricked into doing so by a wobbly egg), I think mainly because Twitter is something I am happy to have 100% viewable to the whole interwebz* , whereas FB is kept pretty well locked down.

*Due to a slightly interesting situation I find myself in at present (which I don't want to go into on a public forum) my account is currently only viewable to those who I allow to follow me, but this is only a temporary measure I hope to lift in a few days/weeks

Twitter is a general service for getting something off your mind in public, or following people who provide you with useful information. It is a PUBLIC service. Everything you write on Twitter is available for anybody to read, apart from direct messages.

So, I follow a lot of tech reporters, for instance, plus the guys from x404.

Facebook comes at it from a different angle, it was originally a private place, where you could talk with friends, now it is becoming more and more Twitter like, by opening up all of your information for anybody who is interested. It is the main reason I quit Facebook, I liked the private atmosphere, where I could talk with a few friends.

At least Twitter was up front... Which is probably why I am still using it.

For me, it basically replaces RSS feeds, plus a way to quickly get information or answer questions.

And those who protect their tweets

I use it for news and the odd message to friends, and sharing links etc

I find I prefer Twitter over Facebook.

As Dave says, it's a more public space - unless you lock your account down to followers only. I follow all kinds of folk I find interesting or amusing, plus friends. Through Twitter I can make contact with people outside my normal sphere, hopefully not in a stalkery kind of way, and sometimes they will respond. Some people I admire in their field I have followed, and I'm pleased to say they've followed me back. I feel with Twitter I am actually part of the story sometimes.

My Facebook account is locked down as far as I can get it. I have a restricted set of friends, and I only get involved in something that attracts my attention. I don't interact with Facebook in the same way, and I still think I will close my account there sometime this year. For me, Facebook is on probation.