Twitter doesn't work very well when it's used the way you're supposed to use it
It's great for asking for or getting snippets of information or linsk, though.
The most important thing in Twitter is NOT the what are you doing now field.
The most important thing in Twitter is the SEARCH field.
Put in something starting with a # and you will probably find a bunch of people discussing that topic. #kindle, for example, or #china.
Put in something without a # and you get people casually mentioning, say, Jane Austen.
If you have a trivia question, try just putting in your what are you doing field. Example, who was the greatest general in the civil war? You will probably get a few answers.