Do you laugh at people who sign everything with @silverkitty or add #Ineedchocolate to the end of a sentence? Do you wonder why some people pull out their iPhone as soon as they get to an event so they can check in or live tweet? Do you tell your friends you don’t “get” Twitter?

You might be a Twitterphobe.

Until recently I was one of those people. I’ve had a Twitter account since at least 2008, and I remember using it to follow the unfolding news related to the Mumbai hotel bombing. At that time, Twitter just didn’t take hold with me. From what I had witnessed, it seemed that the noise to signal ratio was very high, and consequently, most of the content wasn’t worth my time.

However, a lot of people I know are big Twitter users, so as time went on I sensed that I was missing out on something, as if I didn’t have access to that special chat room all my friends were using. Plus, as much as I support and promote social media, it seemed almost hypocritical that I’d promote Twitter to others without using it myself. So eventually I gave in, and decided to give it another try.

I quickly learned that Twitter isn’t like Facebook, which had been my main communication portal. Facebook is a more personal, and arguably, more ‘private’ (with the usual caveats) forum. On Facebook, my friends are people I know personally. They’re “friends”. Because of my privacy settings, no one can read my status updates or view my photos, or even be my “friend” unless I very purposefully allow that to occur.

In contrast, Twitter is largely public: unless you direct message (DM) someone or make all of your tweets private, your tweets are broadcast to anyone who wants to read them. People don’t need to be your friend or ask your permission to read what you’re saying. They just check out your feed. And for those of us who have something to say, an idea to share, or an event to promote, what can be better than that?

Or to put it another way: Facebook is like a fenced garden, where people can look in but not directly engage you unless you let them; Twitter is like a street corner where anyone who wants can stop to listen (and shout back) if they choose.

For the Twitterphobes who aren’t convinced, here are a few other reasons you might like Twitter:

• A lot of interesting people prefer Twitter to Facebook.
• You hear about a lot of cool events through tweets.
• It’s a great way to network with people with whom you share professional or personal interests.
• People you don’t know well, or at all, are more likely to respond to a tweet directed to them than an email.
• You can follow people you barely know without feeling like you’re letting them into your private space.
• It feels kind of like being at a party where you’re encouraged to eavesdrop.
• It’s easy to ignore something annoying when it’s written in fewer than 140 characters.
• If you’re interested in social media, you really can’t afford to overlook Twitter.
• You can follow cool people like Weird Al Yankovic, They Might Be Giants and William Shatner and see what they actually have to say.

Once upon a time I was a Twitterphobe. Now I live for retweets and #FFs, and the strangers who follow me at @jadana17.