The Urban Dictionary

One of my newest websites added to my favorites list is the Urban Dictionary. My name is Valerie, and according to Urban Dictionary, I can be defined as, “Valerie is a VERY sexy women who is also very intelligent. She has beautiful eyes and is sometimes considered to be a savage, but those people know as well as everyone else, that she is truly one of a kind. Don’t do anything bad to Valerie, because she WILL come back out on top.”

Okay, so this might not be Webster’s or anything, but I sure as hell love it! But it is mostly for getting a good laugh and for looking up slang words and phrases. Each day, another word or phrase is added to the list of urban dictionary vocabulary.

Since I have explored the realm of Twitter through this blog and my utter confusion at its purpose, I decided to see how Urban Dictionary defined it. The fourth definition had me in stitches:
“'T’ext ‘W’hat ‘I’m ‘T’hinking ‘T’o ‘E’veryone ‘R’eading. An online social networking site. It’s for everyone over 35 and trying to seem hip thinks that everyone under 25 is using, but they actually aren't.

Of course, I suppose definition number two defines it more accurately: “Social media messaging service for staying in touch and keeping up with friends from anywhere. Usable through a growing number of platforms including SMS, IM, and various desktop clients, as well as the Twitter website.”

Since this is a site just for fun, I looked up blog as well: “Short for weblog. A meandering, blatantly uninteresting online diary that gives the author the illusion that people are interested in their stupid, pathetic life. Consists of such riveting entries as ‘homework sucks’ and ‘I slept until noon today.’”

Taking a gander and even typing in your own name will, at the very least, give you a little chuckle. So check out urbandictionary.com.

Nit-Twittering

I am all up for giving in to distractions, but there is a website that has gone far enough: twitter.com. Another social networking site that simply asks its members: what are you doing?

In 140 characters members can tell everyone on the Internet what they are doing at that very moment. Companies and even television shows have joined, along with businesspeople and average Joe’s.

My question is: who cares? What can possibly be conveyed in 140 characters that would be of any significance to me?

I understand that Twitter is a way for companies to do marketing, and it is another way for job-searchers to find prospective employment. But I suppose I choose the more personal route when it comes to communicating on a professional level. I believe that I will get farther through in-person interviews, phone calls and e-mailing.

If I want to communicate with my friends, I prefer the old fashioned way of e-mailing, instant messaging or, if I’m feeling really bold, calling them on the phone! If I want to send messages to people where the medium gives me limited numbers of characters, I will go old school and send a text.

There may be a circumstance when I want the masses to know. That’s when I Facebook.

One of the few advantages that I have found on Twitter is that I am able to market my work that is already on the Internet. Blog posts are easily advertised along with websites for people to check out.

Bottom line, Twitter seems to be a site that is geared towards people with iPhones who know the applications and are “tweeting” constantly all day. But for me, I just feel like a nit-Twitterer.