IT’S been, what, nine days since I subscribed to Twitter, a relatively new twist in the so-called micro-blogging and social networking. Think of this: how much can you say in 140 characters? That sounds like a writing exercise in my creative writing class. But that’s how Twitter is. Because it requires you to blog in one-liners. It’s short and sweet. The most interesting (well for most users and fans) aspect of this new service is it can be done via SMS, and not just through the Web. Yes, folks, SMS. But you have to be ready to pay for extra SMS charges when sending an entry from your phone into your Twitter account.

Twitter can also be updated via popular instant messaging clients. In my case, I’m using Google Talk. And since this is also a social networking tool, Twitter will allow you to connect to friends (including virtual ones) and discover what they are doing at a certain moment in a given day. But that’s just one of the benefits you could derive from this innovation.

Now, if you’re ready to let the world know what you’re eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner, then go Twitter. But I caution you, never ever blog anything you won’t disclose in person.

YOU’VE probably asked this question many times: How personal should your blog get? Well, I found this interesting blog that suggested several things to consider.

Excerpt:

As a blogger, you may have asked yourself just how personal you want to get when it comes to your blog. Do you want people to know a little or a lot about you? Do you want to disclose personal information to the readers who visit your blog?

All of these questions are important to ask if you are a blog owner; in determining just how personal you want to get on your blog, consider two critical points.

To summarize the blog’s points, you should keep the following tips in mind:

• Determine the purpose of your blog.
• People want to know how you feel. But remember, write things that you think you can be comfortable enough to reveal.
• Never insult or offend your readers.

WHOA. That looks like a serious topic there. But I think this is past overdue. The title is inspired by Mong Palatino who is “27 years old, addicted to activism, aspiring educator, son of migrant workers, president of kabataan partylist” and contributor to Global Voices, a global network of bloggers. (Now I wonder what I was doing when I was 27).

In a post sometime in December 2006, he made interesting observations about the power of blogging, albeit admitting it is still mostly seen as an “elitist activity.” He picked some ideas from the Global Voices yearly conference, which he attended last year. His ideas remain relevant, so I’m highlighting some of them for all you bloggers out there. I hope this inspires you to blog and make a difference.

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OF LATE, I’ve met (not in the literal sense) more people through blogs. Yes, blogs are now part of an emerging digital lifestyle. As one friend-writer who now lives in the US puts it: “I treat it more as a sounding board for my thoughts and predilections.” (Thanks Arvin for the quote.)

I’ve been blogging for over two years. I’ve met musicians, writers, journalists, animators, photographers, politicians, and interesting people I never imagined meeting in a more traditional setting. Of course, I’m also a journalist so that’s an added bonus. Bloggers like journalists document life. Bloggers are sometimes called citizen journalists.

Social networking services like Friendster, MySpace and Facebook, among others, have incorporated blogs. This is because people who want to connect to you also want to find out what you’re thinking. And for some people, blogging is one way of “thinking out loud” in cyberspace. Sometimes though expect off-the-cuff remarks from a wiseguy. So yes, if you blog, you’ll end up knowing more people. What a neat way to make friends (sometimes enemies, too).

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HERE’S something that captured my attention: 34 Reasons Why Readers Unsubscribe from Your Blog. A quick look at the list indicates two things: content and form. Good content lands you eyeballs. But form makes content easier to read. My personal blog has gone through transformation. But I eventually decided to stick to its current form and style. It’s milky-white and it’s very minimalist. I took this form from an advice of J. Angelo Racoma who also believes in KISS.

I will also venture into other suggestions: content should be original and interactive. As pointed out, readers hate information overload. This came out as the number one reason why they unsubscribed. Remember, people online are usually compulsive clickers. If they find posts too long, they move on.

INQUIRER.net editor Nonoy Espina comments that this is exactly what news writing is all about.