You don't need to get it - but you should!

This weekend was the Britmum's Live conference - the biggest, shiniest blogging conference evah. 


I spoke to a lot of people before I went - people I know 'in real life' - and they didn't get it. There was a lot of smiling at me and my little hobby - some worry about meeting people 'off the internets' and the fact that online friendships aren't 'real' friendships - because they aren't real people.


To be honest, almost everyone I know 'in real life' doesn't get it. They don't get twitter either. They don't see what I can get out of it, and think that I'm a bit of a dork, and kind of disfunctional, for spending so much time blogging and tweeting. Particularly tweeting. I do that a massive amount. 


They don't get it.

I have tried to explain it. Dorkymum explained twitter well on her blog post that she read to the crowds yesterday. That sort of explained what I get out of it.


When I interact online what I get is friends - friends who are there all the time. They are like the greatest support network and best party of your life in one place. They care, you care, they share, you share. I know more about my friends online than I do almost everyone I see or speak to on a daily basis in real life. (Sometimes I know too much - I'm talking to YOU Ministry of Mum!) 


Then you have blogging - where you get to share experiences in more detail, and people really care some more, and talk some more, support and laugh and share some more. 


Then you have meet ups and tweet ups and things like these conferences - which really, really ARE the best party you've never been to - you're missing out. 


I have had bad experiences online, and think that anyone who is 'on the internet' will do so - but I had those in real life too. I'm marmite. 


But way, way more than that I've found hundreds and hundreds of people like me- people who get it, who just get it. 


People who I really love speaking with - people I have mountains in common with. People who know I'm being affectionate when I call them the C word and tell them they have ugly shoes. People who make me laugh, people I make laugh, people - just people.


Behind every single computer screen or phone or tablet (or what ever!) there is another person - a real, actual person - who is tweeting or blogging. Some of those people are off of the telly, or politicians, or do some singing for cash - some are sports stars, some are The Famous. Some are parents, some are bin men, some are doctors, some are scientists, some are no hoper wannabies, some are nice, some are not. Most are. 


Most of all, they are real, actual people that you can really, actually speak to. Twitter is a leveller - it gives you the chance to converse with literally ANYONE. Anyone who gets it, that is. 


If you don't get it that's ok - but it isn't that I'm odd because I do - it's just that you're missing out. All those people you could be sharing experiences, intelligent conversation, talking about poo to (that might just be me) all those people who care about the things you care about - and you could be really getting to know them, and enjoying their company. 


Best of all - I don't even have to brush my hair or put on a bra - they'll never know! 

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