My name is Rachael and I am a Twitterholic

I got asked on Twitter if I wanted to be tagged in a meme about being a Twitter addict. I'd like to think that I'm not a full on addict, but I did find I was easily able to answer all of the questions asked in this meme... so I thought maybe I should give in and admit it is a big part of my life. I have been known to get a bit distressed if I haven't been on for a few hours.

The original Twitterholic post was by Kate at The Five Fs and I was tagged by Garry at The Blog Up North - so go have a read of their addiction admission posts too.

I do enjoy using twitter. I think for someone who spends their day alone, or in the company of a small person who doesn't speak (or I suppose any small people as the conversation is never quite the same as with an adult) it's a fantastic social tool. I think it has many business benefits (although my own use is personal with only the odd bit of business thrown in) and has helped keep me in touch with a PR world I've pretty much left behind. The idea of Kate's meme is that she has posed 5 questions. So here goes...

When did you join twitter?

Using bwitterday.com I can confirm that the date was February 4th 2009. Over 18 months ago. Eek!

Why did you join twitter?

My husband had already joined, he likes to think he's at the cutting edge of all things 'cool'. I'd heard bits and pieces and wasn't sure of the appeal of something that was "like the status updates on Facebook". But then Moyles started talking about it one morning on the radio and signed up that day. Does that make me too much of a Chris Moyles fan?

Anyway, Twitter is something you have to stick at for a while before it becomes your friend.

Who was your first follower? Who did you follow first?

My first follower was my husband, thanks love. My second was Stephen Fry. Slightly more interesting. And my third, an old friend from the PR world. So should I tell you all about my husband? Nah, boring.

I'm surprised to find that the first person I followed was actually Jonathan Ross. Then my husband, Chris Moyles and Stephen Fry. Again, not a lot I can tell you about any of them. It is fair to say that to begin with it was largely only celebs that I followed. I don't read celeb mags and have always been 'the last to know'... but not anymore. I'm way ahead of my friends finding out the gossip these days and usually in a far more accurate manner as I've had it straight from the horse's mouth (or fingertips).

I don't follow many people. I like to keep up to date with what's going on in my twitter world, and the more people you follow the more impossible this is. I'm not really using it to try to make friends so I don't feel the need to follow back. If someone's tweets look entertaining and like they might brighten an otherwise dull day, then I'll follow. If they stop tweeting regularly or get boring, I stop following. Some people might find this offensive, but it suits my usage.

Do you have any celebrities following you or have you ever had a DM from a celebrity?

Wooooh yay, chance to show off. As already mentioned, Stephen Fry follows me. In the early days I saw him asking that people who wanted him to follow them use a certain hashtag or phrase, so I tried it. And lo, the next day, I had a new follower! Shortly after this, he was talking about the Kindle and how it won't replace books when I challenged him and said that the DVD had replaced video, video had replaced that beta wotnot and CDs had replaced tapes (now CDs are also becoming a thing of the past). He responded to this, but not with an @reply, so although I will take it that he was engaging in a conversation directly with me, it could be that many people challenged him on the subject at the same time. Obviously, mine would have been the best tweet though.

Other followers you may have heard of include Annabel Karmel and Jamie Oliver. I do work for Jamie Oliver (sort of) so it's only fair he follows me really. When I did my first Jamie at Home party, I tweeted him to let him know how I got on (like he cares) and he tweeted me back saying "Well done babe...". I was a bit over-excited by this, mainly cause he called me babe. Ha ha!

Davina McCall has tweeted me a few times but has also sent me a DM. She reported that she was going to see Tap Dogs and I asked her when and told her which performance I was going to that weekend. Her DM simply said "me too, but don't tell". I didn't tell a soul (except hubby) until the day when I told my girlfriends that we had to keep our eyes peeled!

Have also had a couple of tweets from Sara Cox. I didn't favourite these (stupid) and am suffering from baby brain so can't remember what they were about or what she said. Suffice to say, I surprised her in some way and she responded with a real Cox-ism. Loved it!

If you could follow anyone (alive, dead, fictional) on Twitter, who would it be?

I'm not really one for answering this kind of question. But I'll have a good think for you. There are a few celebrities who it would be nice to follow if they actually tweeted themselves. Having official updates is handy for business, but twitter is a way to get personal with the public and it'd be great if they got in on the act.

Fictional - well, wouldn't Harry Potter's tweets be the most interesting read ever? There are a few soap characters who's lives are so full of drama I'm sure they'd be entertaining, although maybe a little too depressing? I don't really watch any soaps so I couldn't choose a favourite. Obviously I'm obsessed with the life of Elizabeth Bennet... but suspect her tweets would be pretty dull most of the time. "Practising the piano whilst Darcy's out shooting", "Reading a novel", "dining with neighbours this evening". Ok, actually I found those quite interesting. Twitter would certainly help to pass the time for her!

It would also be nice if some of my best friends tweeted as I'd feel a bit more in the loop with their daily lives. But then it's also nice to be able to vent about them somewhere knowing they're not going to read it. So bit of a double-edged sword, that one.

Which came first Twitter or Blog?

Easy. Twitter did. That PR friend I mentioned in my first 3 followers, @howard_jones, he did a #ff for me recommending that I follow Sally Whittle. She writes a mummy blog Who's The Mummy and it made me chuckle so much that I started to think about writing my own blog. I missed writing and thought it'd be a nice way to help me remember the early years of motherhood. I finally started the blog when I suspected I was pregnant for the second time. I wrote a pregnancy diary first time around for a friend who was living abroad and I liked the idea of doing something similar.

And here we are.

I am supposed to tag other people to take on this meme, but as I'm not sure I could call anyone I know a twitterholic (other than those of you who have already been tagged), I think I will leave it to you, dear readers, if you want to continue the theme. Do post a link to your meme here if you take up the challenge. And do try to keep it a little shorter than mine. I go on a bit, don't I?