It's tweets versus posts, word limits versus free verse, quick versus personal. In the battle of Twitter vs Facebook, FYI checks in to see who scores the winning goal

The working class decides

It's tweets versus posts, word limits versus free verse, quick versus personal. In the battle of Twitter vs Facebook, FYI checks in to see who scores the winning goal

One guarantees microblogging might while the other provides you your very own virtual farm. The tragedy is that we often mistake Facebook for being an alternative to Twitter and vice versa.

So, what makes better professional networking sense? And what's more fun? And which of the two requires quicker updates? Let's find out...

Dino Morea, Actor
Twitter is a great way to be in touch with my fans whereas Facebook is a great platform to connect with old friends and family.

Different strokes

Facebook appeals to people looking to reconnect with old friends and family members and making new connections.

It has an amalgamation of features including email, instant messaging, image and video sharing to name just a few.
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This social networking portal is used primarily to share thoughts and images within one's own network.

Twitter, on the other hand, encourages users to use updates as jumping-off points to other places or to just let others know what they are up to at any given moment.

Facebook appeals to social animals and can be very addictive to people who have an insatiable appetite to stay connected with loved ones or make new acquaintances.

Facebook users prefer it as they save on the hassle of logging on to different applications.

For example, they need not log on to Yahoo Messenger, Gmail, Hotmail and Flickr, as it provides them with a single alternative to all these applications, with one login and interface to manage all of one's online social interaction needs.

Alternatively, Twitter encourages constant "linking out" to anywhere. This might also explain its popularity with celebs, as it provides them with an instant connect to fans.

Facebook is more useful in terms of connecting to one's own life: past and present, while Twitter is about meeting people who are complete strangers.

Conversations on Facebook are familiar and centre mostly on shared experiences and connections, whereas Twitter provides one the opportunity to meet new people, stand out from the crowd and self promote.

Being on Twitter is the equivalent of having the spotlight on you.

Report card

Twitter Pros
Easy to navigate and update, link to and promote anything
Helps you reach out to people far beyond your inner circle
One feed pools all users; anyone can follow anyone unless blocked
Pure communication tool, rapid responsiveness
You don't have to be logged in to get updates; you can use an RSS reader

Twitter Cons
Limited functionality; find people, send brief messages, direct replies
Limited to 140 characters per update
Not all people find it immediately useful
Over-emphasis on follower counts
Easily abused for spam
Relatively smaller installed user base

Facebook Pros
Application mash-up; find people, make connections, email, instant messaging, image/video sharing
Most people can quickly grasp the value of connecting with friends, family and established contacts
More emphasis on deep connections versus who has the most connections
"True Friends" feature increases your transparency to selected connections; almost like having private and public profiles
Huge, rapidly growing user base
Third party applications, "gift-giving" and personal data collection make Facebook a powerful advertising platform

Facebook Cons
More difficult to navigate and update on a regular basis
Requires investment of time to realise sustained benefits
Opt-in model requires a user to allow others to connect
Less immediate responses, unless you stay continually logged on

Twitter fan or die-hard Facebooker?

I use only Facebook. It's almost like my online phone book. It is a place where I have happily
re-connected with family and friends.

It's nice to stop by my friends' accounts, take a look at recent photos, travel updates, and post a few "hey, how's it going" notes on walls.
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It's simply brilliant and highly addictive. I don't think I would ever get on Twitter as I am a loyal FB user.

I like Twitter as it keeps things simple and doesn't try to offer loads of choices unlike Facebook. Also, I can microblog on my own schedule.

Facebook would require more sustained time. I also believe that the 140-word limit is
one of Twitter's biggest strengths, and not a weakness.

Expert talk

"I will be shocked if Twitter ever replaces FB's popularity," says cyber security guru Ankit Fadia. He elaborates on each one's usefulness versus the other:

Facebook is a great way to be in touch with loved ones.

Facebook is sometimes cumbersome because of a lot of unnecessary applications.

Enabling security settings on Facebook is much easier and one's approval is required before anyone can access one's profile.

People who have more news to share and less time usually make Twitter their platform. Most people I know are on it to keep track of celebs.

When On Twitter, Don't

Take a cue from Shashi Tharoor. Keep that temper under control. You have 140 words, choose them with care.
Act frivolous. Keep it short, succinct and meaningful.
Get too personal; maintaining a healthy distance is a good thing.

When On Facebook, Don't
Just play Farmville, find friends and folks.
Add too many strangers to your friend list.
Put up stuff that can feed stalkers' ill intentions.
Bitch about your boss or paste pictures of a party held under his nose.

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