By Himanshu Guru: Facebook is currently the number one social networking site in the world. 900 million users are signed up for the site, either checking their status via their computers or on their mobile phones.
Twitter is second to Facebook; however, the site and structure are completely different. Both as a social network and a microblogging site, Twitter allows users to send 140 character updates called tweets, which can be anything from witnessing something awesome to updates on their website.
Many celebrities use Twitter, which allows the fans to follow them and even tweet back and forth, putting them just a bit closer to their idols.Facebook appeals to social animals and can be very addicting to people who have an unquenchable appetite to stay connected with friends and make new acquaintances.
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Facebook addicts prefer the social portal model versus having to log into AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Gmail, Hotmail, Flickr, YouTube, MySpace, etc. Instead, Facebook gives them a single alternative to all these applications, with one login and interface to manage their online social interaction needs. This basically explains the hotheaded growth Facebook continues to experience.
On the other hand, the usefulness of Twitter is not readily as obvious to some people as Facebook; although it may be more addictive once you get the hang of Tweeting; you get more immediate responses and it seems to live somewhere between the worlds of email, instant messaging and blogging.
Twitter has quickly built brand awareness and a loyal following, especially among the technical expert; bloggers, online marketers, evangelists, basically anyone with something to promote seem to find Twitter extremely valuable.
Twitter addicts claim that it’s like the old fashioned water cooler, where people can gather to shoot the breeze on whatever topic is on their minds. Twitter is like a communications stream you dive into for an invigorating swim.
IT is very difficult to compare these sites, as they focus on different stuffs and their focus is different. Facebook can be fun, but Twitter is serious business. Both are good.