Social networking Web sites have hit us hard and fast, but one sticks in my mind as a great resource. Yes I said resource and not social network.

Twitter has become popular quicker than it takes to type 140 characters. While it’s good to know what a friend is doing at any given moment, gaining information about the world around us is far more intriguing.

Forget networking with my friends I see on a daily basis, I want to know what John Mayer is up to.

Well Twitter is great for that. Not only are Mayer’s personal tweets displayed for followers, but updates from the Los Angeles Fire Department and New York Times are added within minutes for everyone to see.

Twitter is a vital source of information from politicians to celebrities to corporations, rather than simply a social network with friends.

Minute-by-minute traffic updates for crowded Los Angeles freeways are more useful than knowing what your best friend is doing every moment. If the north bound I-405 is closed due to major accidents, you can plan for a different route before even stepping inside the car. If a structure fire is blazing, the LAFD will tell you the moment it is happening.

Another great resource is news. ESPN sports updates, the Wall Street Journal and even fishing guides are all available. Every news outlet from fishing to business is one tweet away.

Beyond newspapers, Twitter offers official news from President Barack Obama and other world leaders and public figures. RSS feeds flood through Twitter profiles like water. It’s like building your iTunes, but instead of music genres downloaded specifically for your tastes, it’s information.

Twitter organizes all of your outlet preferences to news and updates that you want to hear.

If you don’t care to read about the most read ESPN sports topic, you don’t have to follow it. If you have no inclination to read about John Mayer, he doesn’t have to exist on your page. If you want to be late for work on purpose, check traffic and go to the most crowded route.

The basic point is Twitter provides information for the user. Forget about social networking with friends you will see in two minutes, Twitter is great for resources.

It is a place to get news and updates from the world around us. Get tweeting, and follow people beyond your social circle. There’s more to discover, so start following something useful.