On Hold

November 3rd, 2009

I remember saying I would ease up on the frequency of my tweets a month or so ago, and I had been for the last few months, without realising it. Though my usage has changed quite a bit recently. It’s hard to describe in what way, but just differently.

Good and bad. Its just different. I know many people personally on Twitter, and meet with some occasionally. It’s become much more of a social hub for me. The major annual events for social gathering of Irish Tweeters and bloggers takes place at the Web Awards (Oct) and Blog Awards (Feb).

At these events, of which I’ve attended each one since the inception of the Blog Awards in 2006 (oh how things have changed since this post!) Four Blog Awards and two Web Awards later I’ve met so many amazing people, had a variety of encounters, and drunk far too much alcohol.

I still live in Belfast, and know more people from the South of Ireland than the North, and may even consider more of those as friends than at home. I go to Dublin, occasionally elsewhere, as often as I can because I need the excitement and the drama of simply doing something, being with like-minded people (very few of my friends at home are online!), as well as seeing the city which I enjoy exploring; like a great adventure, each time I’m there I see and do something different and new.

I find these relationships difficult. I feel so out of the loop being 103 miles away from the cool things that are happening. With not being able to see people, build on friendships or simply go to interesting events, it frustrates me. Twitter helps. And as fun as it is for every second word to be an expletive, my tweeting of late is displaying too much emotion and all that frustration and discontentment with being where I am.

But I’m stuck here for the foreseeable future. And so I hope to attempt to make Belfast cool while I’m here, in what small ways I can, with the help of others who are interested in the very same goals.

frequency of tweets
The frequency of my tweeting over the last year.

As my tweeting becomes simply a way of venting disappointment I will be taking a much needed break, to clear my head. The blog will still continue (as frequently as is possible at the min with a lot of college work on at the min).
I won’t be in Dublin until after Christmas, but hopefully we’ll go for a pint in Twenty Ten.

You know how to get in touch.

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8 Comments

Take it easy Phil. I’ve enjoyed your tweets, such as the late night weekend discussions with Matt Jonston. There are more of us out there. I hope you find the inspiration you need.

Michael

Posted by Mike325 on 03 Nov 2009 at 2:07 am   Reply to this comment

The very strange thing is that with all this social networking melarchy, we are all becoming less social! Even if we go back to when none of us had mobile phones, we where more social.
The internet has done many great things, and let us meet many new people, but has facebook, twitter, bebo, whatever you use made you more social? Sure you’ve met some new people, but do you spend any real time with them?

Posted by Pete Hawkins on 03 Nov 2009 at 11:06 am   Reply to this comment

@Pete Hawkins – Pete, you make an interesting point, though I’d have to say that before discovering how to meet people (often groups of like minded people of a similar ‘community’ or interest) I was much less sociable than I am today. I was always quite a shy person. Now, still quite introverted, I have much less trouble meeting and getting to know people.

Posted by Phil on 03 Nov 2009 at 11:11 am   Reply to this comment

From someone who knows you only through Twitter: Hope things work out for you and that you just enjoy life in Belfast for now!

Posted by Andi on 03 Nov 2009 at 11:31 am   Reply to this comment

just reading alan in b’fast’s post about your place of honour in the belfast twitter world – you going out while on top? Hope you’ll come back soon. I enjoy your tweets – apart from the ones about spots and someone has to challenge @EamonnHolmes.

Posted by stu on 03 Nov 2009 at 2:18 pm   Reply to this comment

and drunk far too much alcohol

Methinks that part needs bolding…

Posted by TheChrisD on 03 Nov 2009 at 4:13 pm   Reply to this comment

Only getting around to reading this now. It is an interesting one. You feel like you know people on Twitter better than your family but you haven’t even met them. hese sort of relationships online defo have to be cemented by offline interaction for sure. Look forward to seeing ya in 2010! Also i’ll see ya on twitter heaps too, I tired leaving but it drags you back in all the time :)

Posted by Niall Harbison on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:19 am   Reply to this comment

@Niall Harbison – Niall, I’m not talking about family in this, nor people that I haven’t met. As you know I have met plenty of the people I chat with on Twitter and I miss the opportunity to further build on a lot of these relationships offline.

Posted by Phil on 04 Nov 2009 at 1:26 am   Reply to this comment

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