Excellent question. I can't think of a good answer. I originally thought it was about ego (e.g. knowing about something quicker than the general public). However, I think, personally, it's more about being able to observe an event from the distance of a first-person third-party (#lessconf is a great example) as the event unfolds (in, yes, "real-time") The thirst to acquire knowledge/news without the cost of having to actually have a personal or even virtual relationship with those sharing.