Twitter . . . Seriously
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 10:00AM If I were to make a list of the number of snarky articles in the mainstream press about Twitter (or social media in general) it would stretch the bandwidth available on this website. Journalists have the hardest time examining cultural phenomena without trying too hard to be 'smart'. Their preferred tone is cynical; the effect, however, canting and fallacious.
The latest foolishness is in a piece by Lisan Jutra about Twitter published yesterday in Canada's The Globe and Mail, the first in planned bi-weekly series on social media. The first column, announced above the masthead, is so silly as to be inconsequential except that it may augur how this column goes. And that presages a real waste of time (unlike Twitter).
A few 'mastersrtokes':
- "Instead, every other tweet (the cringe-inducing name for Twitter posts) turns out to include a link to some honking online tome." Mmmmh . . . does the journalist have a problem with reading?
- "At the time, I was following 50 people (the vast majority of Twitter users follow fewer than 50 people)." Mmmmh . . . where does that number come from? And I am at about 670 and have no problem with the flow of information, selecting what I need, parking the rest - if of interest - in my delicious account.
- "In the end, I followed up on 44 links between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. In total, this equalled three hours of power reading." Mmmmh . . . couldn't she tell within the first sentence whether the link was something worth reading?
I guess the answers to my questions are self-evident. The column is meant to entertain not take its subject seriously.
The next question, then, is Why bother? To whom are these scornful writers speaking when they belittle a means of connection, exchange, engagement, community creation?
They have nothing to say to me and the thousands of others interested in cultural memes and their impact on communications, messaging, reputation and issues. They have nothing to say to the millions of Twitter users who enjoy the quick news hit, the intimate although brief connection, the chance to offer an idea, service or product. They speak only to each other and the many hacks who have curled their lips at every social and business rupture that social media have occasioned (perhaps at the expense of their own industry).
One more point. . . My tweet about the column yesterday led to this response on Facebook from someone who I have never met:
"I don't know if you noticed but in the Globe they announced that this column is the launch of a bi-weekly column on "social media", and the column was promo'd above the fold on page one. Shouldn't there be a test or something that would screen out this kind of nonsense from someone who is supposed to be writing about the subject? It is kind of like a reporter for the ROB (Report on Business . . . my note), in their first column, announcing that analysts who use charts and graphs are annoying and wasting our time, 'cause markets are so volatile you'd be silly to invest in them. Very strange and silly."
Amen.
Social Media, Twitter 
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Reader Comments (7)
I totally agree with you. I just don't get the knee jerk reaction to heap scorn on Twitter from people who don't use it (at least to its potential) or don't understand it. My only guess is that they think the name is somewhat childish and therefore the service must be as well.
It's a real shame when you consider how great a tool it is.
I think the hardest part in convincing others to get on Twitter is to get them past the assumption that all you'll see is "what people had for lunch", etc. Twitter is a great tool, especially for a news junkie like me and sharing links to interesting stories is my favourite part. At least the author sees that it's more than status updates but I don't see how reading news from all over the world, from publications that I wouldn't normally scan, is a waste of time. Being informed and engaged in a community is the great benefit of Twitter - but like I always say to those I try to bring to Twitter - she'll come around.
Thanks Gary and Mary . . . Needless to say, I was frustrated when I wrote this. Indeed, there is nothing wrong with being "informed and engaged" even if the name of the tool sounds "childish".
I used to wonder why people seemed so eager to speak negatively about twitter. It struck me that it was usually people who didn't get instant gratification from it.
I suspect there are several reasons, but first and foremost - I think they're frightened of it. There are no controls and it's far reaching. It is a communications revolution in many ways and it upsets a comfortable media and communications hierarchy. Regardless of where you are within that heirarchy, you understand how to use it and to work within it.
Twitter and social media has upset that applecart. People have leapfrogged to notoriety and anyone can say something and be heard. That's completely contrary to the communications structure we've had for decades. Anyone can say anything and be heard, promoted, engaged and ignored. It's big change and in a world where small change frightens people, big change is terrifying - and the best way to fight change is to make people think it's bad.
Laurie . . . you're right. There is a different communications structure now and it makes much more sense to sort it out than to make fun of it.
To be honest before I was forced to join Twitter in Michael Cayley's Humber PR class I fell under that category of people who thought it was an epic waste of time. Like many others, I made the assumption that it was used by people to tell the world the minutia of their day-to-day lives. I held on to that idea for some time. I've only recently realized the immense value this application has. I was surprised at how easy it can be to connect with other people I wouldn't usually have access to. In the hands of a professional it can be a valuable tool. Getting past the "what I had for lunch" stigma is key in getting people to take Twitter seriously. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the comment Patrick . . . my next quest is to understand the potential of Foursquare. I am using it and see some value from a marketing perspective, but beyond that I don't know. If you are trying it, tell me what you think.