Is Twitter Relevant?

A friend of mine signed up for Twitter this week after hearing me go on about it. Her first response, so far, is that she doesn't get it. I understand; that was my first response, too. What relevance could Twitter have in my life beyond "I'm on line at Starbucks; anyone want to meet me here?"

But as so many of us experienced during the Mumbai attacks, Twitter can suddenly and surprisingly become very relevant--even more so than TV--during times of crisis or significant news events. The immediacy and intimacy of the medium are striking. In fact, I found myself primarily tracking Mumbai on Twitter, and I now follow at least two of the Indians that covered the attacks so well, including the NYTimes-discussed Arun Shanbhag.

Now, days after the Mumbai attacks, I find myself combing through the Mumbai Twitter posts, and I've noticed I've logged onto my own Twitter account more than previously. But the experience lacks the satisfaction (if I can call it that during so horrible an event) it had when I was following Mumbai events. I'm seeking something more. And I'm not finding it.

So, what I've discovered--though this may change later--is that while Twitter is a significant tool for major events, as far as tracking regular life, well, meet me at Starbucks and we'll talk about it.