I’ve had an interesting time on Twitter over the past few weeks which inspired me to write a post about good and naughty tweets and twitterers. I’m a positive person so I’ve started with ‘Good Twitter’!
Yesterday I was a lost soul looking for information. I had trawled the internet (well, maybe not the whole internet) via Google, throwing out long and short tail queries like my life depended on it. I found a few useful bits and pieces but the going was tough and it was a subject I’m not an expert in. I found myself thinking, “If only I had access to an expert in the field who I could ask for help and guidance.”
As I was sat in front of my screen lamenting my woeful lack of real-life connections I remembered someone I’d found on Twitter a few weeks ago. “Hang on a cotton picking minute” (as my partner would say) “wasn’t she an expert in this very subject?” I checked her profile and it was true. I sent a couple of DMs (because one DM is never enough) and within an hour I had a response which led to a very useful DM conversation.
Fast forward a couple of hours and there’s me, grinning like a hungry person at a chip shop with my super useful web links courtesy of my new favourite Twitterer. (If that is a real word)
This is Twitter being very good and helping me find useful information fast!
Cut to ‘Naughty Twitter’
A few weeks ago I witnessed (along with many others) an argument happening live on the Twit-stream. And when I say argument I don’t mean a discussion with raised voices and emphatic hand gestures. I mean a proper fight! I think if these people had conducted the argument face to face there would have been actual hair pulling, pushing and possibly even raspberry blowing.
At the time I was tempted to write a much fuller post going into all the ridiculous details but I didn’t want to get drawn into the fight which seemed utterly pointless. It was also terrible PR, especially for one individual who seemed to be totally nuts and has since been unfollowed.
I will not be mentioning any names – many people will have witnessed the fight anyway and I leave them to draw their own conclusions about who should be on the naughty step!
(Note to audience: That’s right! I really am prepared to let you have your own opinion! If you disagree I will not harass you.)
That is Twitter being naughty, clogging my updates with playground style rants.
Of course, Twitter isn’t really good or naughty. It’s down to the people that use the service and it can become a playground, a boxing ring or even a University library (my current favourite).
However you use it, Happy Tweeting!
Fighting on Twitter?! Do these people really not have anything better to do?
They obviously felt passionate enough about the issue to argue online, in public.
haha a twitter fight, passion a side, seems like a difficult means to express an opinion; and then justify it before someone makes a return comment.
Someone brought my attention to this post. Please desist from being cruel. It’s really not necessary. You’ve already had plenty of fun mocking me, and openly planning to mock me further, with impressions in the style of… I believe… The Simpsons and South Park. Very odd.
I’m sorry if you and your friend were offended by my need to defend a best selling novelist, and a book seller that felt – rightly – that their brand was being threatened. I’m glad you were able to capitalise so successfully on the pain I was caused by stepping up and doing this for those affected. If you would like to post a video of you and your friend re-enacting this event, in the style of your chosen cartoon characters, I would be happy to host it on my blog for everyone to poke fun at. Until that time, maybe focus on something a little more positive.
Thanks,
Rebecca
Dear Rebecca,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I intended to keep your name out of the discussion so that only the people directly involved in the argument (or those who witnessed it at the time) would know who I was talking about. As you have written to us, the game is up anyway and I feel I owe you an explanation and an apology.
My understanding of the argument (which may be wrong, but that’s my opinion) is that it started over a simple question that wasn’t meant to offend anyone. One of the unfortunate things about using Twitter is that we sometimes miss the subtle nuances, or pick up on ones that were never intended, because we are talking online with 140 character limits. If the same conversation had happened face-to-face it may well have gone very differently.
My aim in using your argument as an example on the blog post was not to ‘capitalise’ from it. I simply wished to illustrate how things can go wrong when people talk and argue on Twitter. My colourful descriptions were meant to convey to readers who had not witnessed the ‘fight’ how it made me feel as an observer.
As a representative of Cheltenham’s Social Media Cafe I tend to write about social media news and how people are using different social media platforms. As a human being I thought you may have got the wrong end of the stick about the argument and overreacted. This is a personal judgement, which is why I kept your name out of the story. Given that some of our followers witnessed the argument anyway it may have been a mistake for me not to strike a more neutral tone, perhaps by not mentioning I had ‘unfollowed’ you. As far as I’m aware no one actually planned to, or ever did re-enact the argument (as joked about on Twitter) but I’m sure if someone has they will be in touch about the video clip.
Clearly this article has caused great offence and I am sorry to have been the origin of this. It was an unintentional side effect of seeking to entertain, inform and highlight the possible ‘dangers’ of arguing on a public platform to our readers. Since you are aiming to become a published author and are already a local celebrity you may have to get used to people forming opinions of you, even when you’ve never met them.
As I currently do not follow you on Twitter you are unlikely to become the focus of any future blog posts. I only hope you can accept my sincere apologies for the offence caused and move on from this event as everyone else has.
Best wishes,
Rachel
PS. In response to your wish that I focus on something positive, may I draw your attention to the first half of that offensive article? Thanks.
Calling me ‘totally nuts’ is a demonstration of your reasonable nature, I presume. Pot. Kettle.
Rebecca
Most Influential on Twitter in the Cotswolds
Most Influential non-celeb woman on Twitter (UK)
Klout UK Top 100 List
Shorty Awards Finalist
Ms Twitter UK Winner
Featured in The Spectator Arts and Culture blog as authority on Twitter
Quoted in The Times (about Twitter)
‘Totally nuts’