More questions answered

So why Twitter?

It all started with a Marketing seminar I attended, from which I took home the following salient points:

* 44% of 35 - 64 year-olds are more likely to read a newspaper in print than in electronic format (21%). Their younger counterparts are shifting toward online news consumption (35% print vs. 30% electronic).

* Popularity of the newspaper is in decline in the US, in Western Europe, Latin America, Australia & New Zealand, but rising in Eastern Europe and developing countries. Newspaper circulations are shrinking as more people turn to the Web as their primary news source.

* Social media (e.g. blogs, podcasts, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter) is gaining ground. Blogs are becoming more influential, primarily those of a niche or special interest.


A coupla mates are already on Twitter, so I decided to give it a go. Letting friends know what's going on at bonsai shows they aren't able to attend, like the EBA conventions. And for many bonsai people, being away from their trees for extended periods (particularly during the growing season) can be a logistical nightmare of sorts. And maybe it's a way to tell the under-35ers all they want to know about hobbies and interests that are within their grasp but they were too afraid to ask.

But wait - bonsai is a visual experience. And Twitter doesn't support images. Therefore Blogger and Twitter are having to work hand in hand for me. (And Sony Ericsson.) Ahhh. So des ka.

There are loads of other sites which already address questions like how to water, when to prune, I had one and it died, etc. If you have this type question, drop me a line and I will find the best place to direct you to. This space is more of an effort at online coverage plus maybe a rant or two (or fifteen).

So it looks like we are up and running, ready to experiment with live-blogging from Lorca. Hopefully they will have wi-fi available there, as using a phone keyboard is a dead bore.