Happy Twitter Birthday to me

My friend Judy, @Judy_Kinney, sent me a note yesterday to point out that today is my 2nd anniversary on Twitter.

I created my @RobinJP Twitter account two years ago today. I think that's like 12 years of Social Media experience in Twitter years.

So happy anniversary to me. And my buddy Twitter. I've had some great highlights during the last two years.

The biggest: I now have a world of powerful people at my fingertips.

TWO DEGREES OF SEPARATION

I've got a network of smart, chatty, funny people who I can reach out to for questions like "Anybody in Denver know a techie who I can trust to go into my mom's home and fix her computer?" That question was answered in about 30 minutes. Two degrees of separation and voila!

My friend @LavLuz who I met almost immediately after signing up for Twitter, shared my plea with her followers. @ashleykingsley recommended someone who worked out just perfectly.


Also in my network:

My buddy @marcusod is a journalist and educator who lives in Australia. We've got a lot in common and Twitter makes the distance negligible.

@misterfonzie who was then @blackfonzie helped me get a new job.

I like following @danamo and her glamorous Manhattan life but really enjoy when she announces that she's homeward-bound with a "BK bound" Tweet.

@kk is an awesome photographer. I like Twitter-eavesdropping on his love affair with @FierceKitty. And because I follow him, I'm reminded to slow down my day and check out his photos every once in a while.

And I follow @johncpiercy cause everyone needs a firefighter in their life and he's mine.

SMART WOMEN

Judy, who was @flourishingjudy then, and I started #swbc a Twitter chat called Smart Women Bar & Cafe. We drew a lot of attention for a short while... were even a Trending Topic during a few of the early evenings. Smart women from all over the country jumped in to chat, meet new people, break off and start new friendships. That chat ran its course and, in part because we conflicted with The Rachel @maddow Show. It was hard to compete.

#wjchat

Then came #wjchat: Web Journalism Chat. Inspired by the very popular #journchat, this new Twitter conversation focuses solely on Web journalism. I joined the #wjchat team about four hours after the idea for it was formed during a #journchat.

The first #wjchat was on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. PST. The inaugural topic: What is the job of a Web Journalist & what skills do you need? We just held the 22nd #wjchat and are going strong.

IRL FRIENDS

A very small percentage of my Twitter friends are people I have met in person. A small handful of the people I've met in person and fewer family members have joined Twitter. But a couple of Twitter friends have turned into in real life friends: @Judy_Kinney and @LavLuz are two. Another dozen or two Twitter friends are people I feel comfortable turning to for info or support either on Twitter or by moving the conversation to email or phone.

VENN DIAGRAM OF ME

When I started on Twitter, I began following people who I thought would educate me, entertain me, inspire me. We were in the middle of a fascinating Presidential election and Twitter is where we talked about it. I followed runners and stuck with those who had something more to say too. There were Twitter superstars and entertainment superstars who jumped onto Twitter. And there were those who just cracked me up.

But the ones who stick, who I make a point of checking on as if they were elderly neighbors on a hot summer's day are those who engage, who chat back, who share.

And, of course, I'm still drawn to those who just crack me up.

7,220 Tweets, two jobs, thousands of acquaintances later and I'm living in a whole new world. So is Twitter.

Thanks for the reminder, Judy.

Happy Birthday to me and Happy Anniversary, Twitter. Where shall we go to dinner?

Robin, Tempe