Twittiquette; you are now warned
August 18, 2009 at 10:26 pm | In blogging, technology | 21 CommentsTags: rules, twitter, twittiquette
You may have heard last week — maybe not on Twitter — that a recent study found that 40% of Twitter tweets are “pointless babble.” According to the study, conversational messages account for 32% of tweets, and tweets with pass-along value scored a whopping 6%. Close behind, were tweets of shameless self-promotion. (This all according to Pear Analytics, based in San Antonio, Texas)
I wish I could say I was surprised by the study’s findings, but my recent Twitter experiences bare out the same: most of twitter is, indeed, pointless babble. Or, at least, I’m finding Twitter to be of much less benefit than it might be, and not without a plethora of annoyances.
I know after any new technology is developed it takes time for society to adjust and develop helpful norms of interaction — consider the transition from road rules of horse-drawn carriages to cars. But if you ask me, it all comes down to Twittequette. Twitter, like most human interactions, I suppose, thrives when people are polite and operate with certain shared values — when they think of others as well as themselves. On the other hand, when Twitter just becomes a place to sound off or give a meaningless update, it is not a tool for faithful living but a sounding board for blah.
So, dear twittering friends, I am putting you all on notice. I shall stop following you, yes even you (heck, especially you) Adam Walker Cleaveland, if I continue to get annoyed by tweets of pointless babble. This post is fair warning. My foot is down.
So as not to be too crotchety or rude myself, here’s a few pointers on how I adjudicate worthwhile tweets.
A Worthwhile Tweet:
- has pass-along value
- is something I might care about (I don’t care that you are watching a movie, for example. But I may care if you saw a movie and recommend it to others.)
- links to another source
- is a retweet of something with pass-along value
- connects me to others in meaningful ways
- asks or answers an interesting question
An Annoying Tweet:
- tells me what you had for breakfast
- simply notes your current location (I know some phones can do this; so what, it’s pointless)
- is solely about self-promotion
- says only “good night” or “good morning”
- says simply “my flight is delayed” (now if it said, “many flights at ___ airport delayed, check your times at ___ website” that’s a different matter)
- adds clutter without class; takes away time but adds no value
So there you have it, world. For more good tweeting tips check out: 10 Basic Rules Of Twitter (And How To Avoid Being A Twanker)
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Oh MAN, I think I found a new tag line for my blog. “Adds clutter without class.”
You are so unfollowing me.
Comment by racher — August 18, 2009 #
Hah, Racher, perhaps I should have mentioned the obvious exception: if I laugh out loud, it’s all good!
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 18, 2009 #
Wow…I feel like, after having been called out in the blog post, I should respond…but my response would be too long for a blog comment. I’ve been wondering what my next blog entry would be, so…thanks for giving me some idea Adam.
I agree with some aspects of your post…but, I think you’re missing some of the other connectional (and fun) aspects of Twitter. Now, I don’t necessarily say that you’re on the road to possibly becoming a “Twitter snob…” – but I think that some could possibly read this post as heading in that direction…
Thanks for starting what will no doubt be an interesting conversation – one which I’ll continue over on my blog (hope that wasn’t too much shameless self-promotion…)
Comment by Adam Walker Cleaveland — August 18, 2009 #
Looking forward to it, Adam. Hope that breakfast tastes good
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 18, 2009 #
Before you take the Pear Analytics study with so much seriousness, you ought to read danah boyd’s take on it — she’s one of the country’s leading researchers of social media. Check out her blog here: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/08/16/twitter_pointle.html
Comment by Mary Hess — August 18, 2009 #
Thanks, Mary. Definitely a good read. I think my Twitter take follows my overall life perspective in that I am very careful with my time and so seek to connect (either by “social grooming and maintaining peripheral social awareness”) in very intentional ways.
Sure, the numbers in the Pear Analytics study aren’t worth much, but I think they do get to a good point by calling us Twits to examine why we do what we do. Twitter can be great. TV can be great. But just as I watch only a few quality TV shows, I seek to learn how to use Twitter in quality ways as well.
And, btw, your tweets are both fun and helpful. Thanks!
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 18, 2009 #
PS: Take the time to watch this anthropological discussion of YouTube, for further insight into what participatory culture is:
Comment by Mary Hess — August 18, 2009 #
Wow, Mary. You’re right. Awesome video. Do watch, folks. It’s 55 minutes that will speed by.
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 19, 2009 #
Something I heard yesterday rings true: If it’s some random stranger describing what they had for breakfast, it’s pointless babble. If it’s my friend who’s on holiday in Afghanistan describing what they had for breakfast, it’s damned interesting.
Comment by Simon — August 19, 2009 #
I’m definitely a twanker and will be unfollowed.
As I’m writing and editing, I put random stuff on twitter, and it’s definitely information that only a mother can love.
I disagree with you though. Maybe it’s because I’m nosy, or easily fascinated, but I love reading what people eat for breakfast. I’ve learned a huge amount about people’s sleeping patterns. I worry about when a friend’s plane is late.
I’m less enchanted with people saying profound or quotable quotes. You know, the tweets of a fortune cookie variety… I mean, they’re interesting in a way, but I’d rather know about the nitty gritty of someone’s life.
This is how I look at it–Aristotle wrote “it is impossible for people to know one another till they have consumed the requisite quantity of salt together.” He meant meals, but I think of twitter as a kind of salt. They are those ordinary flavors of life, small tastes of what people are up to.
Comment by Carol Howard Merritt — August 19, 2009 #
I concur to a point, Carol. The odd random tweet from a friend is entertaining, but that can’t be universalized. I mean, I don’t want to know about every person’s sleep patterns every day, or every meal. It might be great to know such things about my close friends and family, even my congregation and colleagues, but then I come to an overload point. Maybe it’s a question of more selectively following people, getting the number way down? I think I’m at around 150 at the moment.
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 19, 2009 #
Adam,
I’m sure you’ll be un-following me on Twitter soon (if not already, based on the above rules and regulations). I don’t maintain any illusion of self-importance, imagining that everything I tweet is deeply interesting to everyone who follows me. It’s not about that, and I’m thankful.
I know it’s futile to try to convince you otherwise, but I think you’re either misunderstanding the medium or at least imposing standards to it that aren’t necessarily in keeping with its purpose. I side with Danah Boyd in noting that most of our interactions (digital and non) aren’t “meaningful” or “informative.” Rather, most of what we do and say is more social than substantive – theologically speaking, it’s fellowship rather than education or some other activity.
For me, Twitter is much more about fellowship and staying connected. It’s a way for me to have an ongoing connection with people all over the country, not because knowing what time they woke up and what they’re eating for dinner is intrinsically interesting, but because I care about them and don’t have the luxury of living with them day-to-day. Does it take the place of real conversations about substantive topics? No. Does it replace the more personal media of phone and even email? No. Does it make me a better friend to them, because I’m more connected to their everyday experiences? Maybe -I hope. Does it enrich those relationships and connect me to those I love, and those in whom I am interested? Yes, absolutely.
By the way, I’m tweeting a link to this blog. Maybe you’ll consider that interesting enough to keep following me, at least for another day!
Comment by Betsy — August 19, 2009 #
Thanks, Betsy. I really love the fellowship rather than education distinction, though there are many twits who use Twitter as a professional medium and focus on the educational side. I guess I’d count myself in their ranks.
I guess it all goes back to what is, indeed, “meaningful” as Boyd puts it. What constitutes good fellowship. I’m all for hanging out and being social, don’t get me wrong, but I also do wonder from time to time — and this is a bigger point than Twitter — how those relations and conversations can be best for the kingdom. Maybe a place to start is: what grows the fruit of the spirit? Out of what interactions can peace, love, joy, and hope thrive?
Maybe that’s too ruminative, but you got me thinking. Thanks!
Comment by adamjcopeland — August 20, 2009 #
Completely legit for different people to use Twitter for different purposes. It’s just a tool like a screwdriver, and sometimes I use the handle of a screwdriver for hammering in nails, and last week my screwdriver was an icepick.
Best wishes anyway–I’ll add your blog to my reader so I can keep up that way
Comment by Katie — August 19, 2009 #
Hi, why don’t we let decide the market or the user what they want to hear. Everybody is free to follow anybody. Or let it be. Thus, better than establishing a twitterquette is decide who you want to follow. If you don’t like babbling or self promotion don’t follow the guys doing that. And if everybody decides that way everybody will read in the end what is of interest for her.
Comment by Ines Sey — August 20, 2009 #
Yes! The Twitter bubble has burst at last. It will go the way of 8-tracks and rubiks cubes….and they should call it twaddle, not twitter
Comment by Stushie — August 20, 2009 #
I am considering joining twitter, if only to test my luck with keeping you as a follower. The next couple weeks will be like tryouts. twitter tryouts.
Also, how did Taylor take you not following her anymore?
Comment by Blair — August 20, 2009 #
Being fairly new to twitter,i suppose i jumped in the deep end,said whatever came in to my head,i suppose a lot of it is not for every one, but hey what is,every ones different ,& with millions of Twitter users ,even the most mundane tweets will interest some people,maybe not you,but someone out there.Its fine to be selective,but ones drink is another twitters poison,so hey here’s to every bodies tweets &very good luck with them Yours, Lyndon Sullivan. @lindano on Twitter.
Comment by Lyndon Sullivan — August 20, 2009 #
Adam -
I think I am the only commenter who wholeheartedly agrees with you. I am not, myself, a twit (my wife might disagree with that statement), but I have many friends who are. It seems to me that the fascination with sharing every bit of minutiae of one’s life keeps one from actually living in the moment. How can you truly experience life when you are preoccupied with using everything that you do as fodder for your next FB status update or tweet? An example: I got together last year with a friend that I hadn’t seen in about seven years. We attended an event in the town where he lives. Instead of reconnecting as old friends, he spent the entire afternoon and evening twittering about the event. Neither of us enjoyed the experience like we could have, because one of us was not fully there.
Comment by Colin — August 21, 2009 #
[...] few days ago, a friend of mine (Adam Copeland – I can call him out on my blog because he called me out on his…) told people that they [...]
Pingback by Twitter: What’s the point? — Pomomusings — August 24, 2009 #
I’ll probably be un-followed. I’m off to eat breakfast so I can tweet about it.
It is a helpful exercise to look at tweet stats and clouds of the words I use and the frequency of posts. I think my most common words were #fb, meeting, good, church. Sounds boring, but optimistic.
Comment by Walk — August 29, 2009 #