When Technology Is Actually Useful

Call me crazy, but sometimes I’m not a huge fan of technology. Like when a dude asks you out via text message. Sure, texting is more convenient most of the time and definitely provides a good cushion in case you get rejected, but really, you should dial my phone number and call me. I want you to take that risk.

Other times, however, technology is great. The fact that I can have food delivered to my home at any time of night without having to speak to inept food service workers justifies paying Comcast a hundred dollars a month for a wireless Internet connection.

In my mind, Twitter falls in the first category. Even though I occasionally enjoy short notes from my pals and will cop to using it for breaking media news, I despise the fact that it’s impossible to link responses to a particular comment and unlike other social networking sites, it’s nearly impossible to ignore obligatory but annoying followers. Also, the word “tweet” irks me for reasons unexplainable. And “retweet”? Don’t even get me started.

The exception to this rule is the Etsy twitter feed.

Run by the folks behind the awesome user-generated craft website, the feed highlights new products and good deals without being overbearing or annoying. Only updating a couple of times a day—instead of, say, on the half hour like other craft Tweeps—the feed is easy to digest and provides direct links to the corresponding artist’s pages.