I feel a lot more connected to my fellow alumni living in different states when they add a tweet or two during the day. It is the connection to the person, not the place, that is of greatest relevance.

That said, I think there is a too big level that can easily be breached. For the most part, I know all of the people in my stream, increasing the relevance of what they say. What makes Twitter work is that the information I see means something. (And, thanks to Twitterrific, it shows up softly and goes away quickly.)