Fellows, chaps, bros: you understand the agonizing decision that every man must make. It’s one that haunts you every morning. Often it depends on the type of day you’re going to have; the types of activities in which you will be engaging. Is today a minute-by-minute, action-packed, activity laden type of day? Or is today a relaxing, take-it-easy, (forgive the expression) hang loose type of day? Boxers or briefs?
Don’t ask me about my train of thought on this, but somehow pondering this question the other day got me thinking about the difference between blogging and Twitter.
Blogs are ways for users to create and share content of their choosing with the world in the format of their choosing. They are designed for users to have flexibility. On this blog, if I have a thought I want to share, I can delve into it as deep as I would like (although that doesn’t guarantee people will read it). Blogs are like boxers in that they invite the user to settle into their thought process and flesh out their ideas. They have, well, breathing room.
Twitter on the other hand only allows posting of “tweets” of 140 characters or less. Many people have referred to Twitter as a micro-blogging service, but I’m not so sure that this is an accurate description. I think Twitter is to briefs what blogging is to boxers. I wouldn’t call briefs micro-boxers. That actually sounds uncomfortable.
Twitter is a different tool that performs a similar function. Although it still allows me to connect with others and share my content, it places constraints on my thought process: only one can be shared at a time. This makes it a fantastic tool for thoughts on the go–for those days when I need feedback on an idea that hasn’t been fully realized.
Similarly, the choice between boxers and briefs can be seen as a lifestyle choice. Many use Twitter who are uncomfortable with the breadth of the commitment to a blog. The constraints comfort them. But for those who need a little more room to flex their ideas, a blog is necessary and helpful. Personally, I retain what can be seen as the boxer-brief option: I use both, depending on the needs of my day.
OK, I know you’ve been holding out. I now give you permission to continue the analogy, only because I’m going to laugh when I read them.
Photo credit: Egan Snow
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think boxer-briefs bring something completely different to the table by taking the best parts of boxers & briefs. It’s the best of both worlds, but in a completely different option. It’s not a combination of two, it’s a third option that’s… better. Unfortunately the closest thing I can think of that mixes Twitter & blogs to create something better would be Facebook (blah), since you get the status updates & the notes/share links/etc features.
But something that Twitter brings to the table is a a conversation with people all over the place who you’ve never met, and may not have met without Twitter. So what would be a communal blog that everyone could post on, but with a paragraph limit? There are versions of this, but I bet there’s another level we could take it to.
Because I wear boxer-briefs, and have no desire to ever wear boxers or briefs, but I love my little blog, and I love my Twitter account…
@Dave
This is a good point. Maybe boxer-briefs aren’t the greatest analogy for using both Twitter and blogging. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say, as I did in the beginning, that it’s more like picking your preference on that given day. I guess even underwear analogies have flaws…