Twitter Pet Peeves
I’m all about the info, right? Like the Twitter 101 post, right? Of course, I am not sure it’s fair to call a pet peeve of mine information, and I may irritate people in the process, but I seem to be really good at that IRL this week, so why not bleed it right on into the the virtual world.
So, here goes.
It drives me nuts when people use “@” Twitters to reply to people like a chat room and I have no idea what the hell they are talking about.
For example:
Earlier in the evening…
JaneDoe: The garbage men left the trash cans strewn all over the street again.
*tweet*
*tweet*
*tweet*
Later in the evening…
JohnSmith: @JaneDoe I can’t believe they did that!!!
So then I am going: What? What happened?!? OMG! I am going CUT whoever hurt JaneDoe like that! … When really it’s a benign trash-related accident.
Or even better…
JohnSmith: @JaneDoe Totally.
I do realize these are all just bits of code thrown up in cyberspace, but was that really worth a tweet to everyone? There is this wonderful thing called a DIRECT MESSAGE where you can send these simple messages DIRECTLY to the person you are agreeing with without they rest of us seeing them! [cue angels singing!]
Or! If you can’t send a direct message to someone because you have sent 60 kojillion and they have blocked you (not saying that has ever happened to me or anything), try writing a whole sentence that the entire Twitterverse can enjoy.
JohnSmith: @JaneDoe My garbage men like to make sculptures with my trashcans.
And seriously. I know I’m nowhere near perfect. I am sure I do plenty of things that irritate people (on Twitter). Let’s not forget the time I twittered from SXSW about the Dirk Diggler panel, and used the word “cock” and it was like I peed in some people’s showers! With my cock!
So, bring it on. What are your Twitter pet peeves?
And if you aren’t on Twitter, why not?
You May Also Like
This article has 42 comments
Comments are now closed.
Mine’s pretty much the same. I don’t follow people who tweet replies every time. And people who tell me they’re gonna get water. Or go pee. I like to be updated, but not that much.
Excellent post, ma’am!
I’ve got a couple of people blocked because they twitter all day and night. About everything.
OK, I twittered last night about what I had for dinner. But I felt like bragging. Because for once, I cooked a decent meal.
But who needs to see this:
PoppyBuxom: … staring out the window.
PoppyBuxom: I think I’ll go to the bathroom.
PoppyBuxom: I wonder if the mail’s here yet?
Poppy’s rules of Twittering #1: If you’re bored, shut up.
Oh, and here’s another thing that drives me crazy. People who post urls to their blog posts–not just once in a while, but every time they update.
I mean, hey, this is the internet. We’re all here to call attention to ourselves. But please BE MORE SUBTLE.
Twitter drives me nuts. I can follow one or two people I really know well (like you), but otherwise, I am not sure I want to know anyone else’s every inconsequential thought when they have it.
I am really out of touch with this stuff, though.
Lisa and Poppy totally hit on two things I do… overtwitter and notify when I have a blog post. 🙂 But I *do* try to hold back. I DO.
I’m not on twitter and those @ messages are a big reason. If I look at someone’s twitter feed on their blog or on their twitter page I feel like I am eavesdropping on their private conversations or worse, I feel excluded from the conversation.
Also, like Poppy said, I just don’t think everyone needs to know what I’m thinking/doing every minute. Snore!
Hahaha- “If you are bored, shut up”- Poppy Buxom (that’s hilarious, and true!)
I can’t decide if I really like Twitter. I used to hear everyone talking about it and then I went on there and was like, “This is it?!” I just feel most of the time like people have too much information about me in general. Why am I supporting it then!?
I just recently learned about the direct message so please forgive me for my earlier indiscretions with the @.
And my ego can’t handle if I am following someone and they aren’t following me. Aries much? Ha.
Guilty, guilty, guilty! Thanks for the Twit tips!
The people who are following a gajillion people just because they can and they want at least that many followers. Really? How do they keep up and what is the point? Lame-o! And in a completely different direction: I also take a blow to my ego if someone I’m following doesn’t reciprocate. I’m followable! I’m likeable! Meh.
🙂
I’m guilty of this, I think because it’s so much easier than clicking to that person’s page and then clicking the DM button. But you’re right – it’s annoying. I’ll try to be better about this in the future.
What’s also annoying is when someone who has my e-mail address decides to DM me 17 times in a row, because of the 140 character limit. Just E-MAIL me, for the love of pete. 🙂
Kathy, they have added a tip to fix that. Take the two lines of javascipt code and move them to right above your body tag so Twitter loads last. That way if Twitter is slow, it won’t hold up your site. It used to DRIVE ME NUTS, too.
If I am confusing, go back and go through the steps to get a HTML badge again on twitter and they have the instructs there.
Twitter? Why not? Um. Because I’m really not that exciting.
Crabapple and Gretchen, I am not trying to recruit if you aren’t into it. 🙂 What I like about it is the ability to share the funky little bits of my day that aren’t worth a full post. And also it’s a writing challenge to try and get it under 140 characters. Mostly I fail, but it;s fun.
My pet peeves are similar. Luckily, I don’t follow anyone who overtwitters, really, so I’ve been fine there. I have checked out a few other people I’d thought of adding, but when I went to their page it was an endless stream of @ replies. I don’t mind a few of those, but I kind of feel most twitter posts should be for everyone.
I like it when people notify about blogposts on Twitter (though I don’t do that myself…hmm).
And, although it’s not a pet peeve, I do find it odd when people add me as someone they’re following, but when I look at their profile I see they have 60000 people their following (no–I did not accidently add a couple of extra zeroes there). I kind of think that’s odd. What do they do? Sit around all day and read Twitter updates?
I try to keep my Twitter posts to things that might be seen as funny or interesting, though I’m sure I miss the mark every now and then.
Okay, wait! You twittered the word “cock” and I missed it?? And people got upset??
Jeeez.
I don’t mind when someone twitters a post, but don’t do it every time. Seriously, it’s like spam.
You’re so good at the DM. I need to do it more often.
And I HAVE to wonder about folks who are on there all day. Do they not have anything else going on in their life??
Mamma – it was a panel by a bunch of futurists at SXSW and they played it up with a bunch of skits, one being a eulogy for Dirk Diggler of Boogie Nights.
Here is the transcript for that part of the panel:
====
I swear to god I am not making this up. 04:21 PM March 11, 2008
AND THE LAWYER STORMS THE STAGE, YELLING, I CAN’T TAKE IT, FUCK DISNEY! And holds up a plastic penis in the air. 04:21 PM March 11, 2008
Now a valley of the shadow of death prayer with emphasis on the rod and shaft. 04:20 PM March 11, 2008
Something about photos of Dirk Diggler being blocked by Disney and then he showed photos of protests saying “Don’t block the cock.” 04:19 PM March 11, 2008
The “lawyer” is rambling. I have no idea what the fuck he is talking about. 04:18 PM March 11, 2008
People are leaving in droves. Kind of a funny idea, but also kind of a bait and switch. 04:16 PM March 11, 2008
Now Dirk’s “lawyer” is going to speak. 04:13 PM March 11, 2008
“Dirk was more than a giant cock!” Did I go to the wrong panel??? 04:09 PM March 11, 2008
His former spouse, Roller Girl, is here to speak now. In roller skates. 04:08 PM March 11, 2008
“With his magnificent 13-inch penis, nothing could hold Dirk Diggler back.” 04:05 PM March 11, 2008
Holy crap, now we’re getting an eulogy for Eddie Adams. In a priest get-up, even. Can I get an AMEN? 04:03 PM March 11, 2008
OK, this is it people. Last panel. Scenarios for Social Technologies in 2025. With an “In Memoriam” for Dirk Diggler up on screen right now.
Now that I look back at it, maybe it was the “Fuck Disney” part that pissed people off.
My Twitter pet peeve is… well… Twitter.
I twit a little but I’m not sure that I like it so much. I’ve read a ton of snarky-like behavior, comments, rants, etc. Seeing some of my (previously?) favorite bloggers in this light has seriously clouded my impression of a few.
Overtwitterers are also on the list. I kind of feel bad for them. Some seem never to see sunlight or to have a life outside of the computer.
i’m totally 100% guilty of using the @ when i should DM someone. but…i’m lazy.
pet peeves? um, the new blog post update…chances are most people who are twittering have a feed reader too…so they know when you have a new post up.
also..the overtwitter. for sure. there are some people i’m following who update pretty much every 15 seconds all day. i find that REALLY annoying.
other than that…it’s totally fair game out there 🙂
Narf, I am not sure you understood what I meant. I love the use of the @name. Just not when it drops something that is not understandable on it’s own and people have to go searching for the original comment.
But again, JMHO!
Just like blogging, each person should tweet as they see fit! 🙂
I get a little annoyed with what you mentioned, especially when I’m not following the person they’re chatting with, so I’m seeing one side of the conversation.
Worse yet when the other person’s updates are private. WTF!
@JoeBob @SuzyQ Wow! The llama ate what? Out of where? That’s crazy
And I’m left wondering who SuzyQ is and why she’s such a freak. Hate that.
I also get annoyed when I put out what I think is a witty comment and NO ONE responds. I’m such a narcissist! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!
I have to second the OVERTWITTERING! I hate to log in and see a whole freaking page of one person’s twitters, one after the other after the other…
I don’t really care what people twitter ABOUT – I think the whole point of twitter is to have a place to document the mundane, everyday stuff you wouldn’t bother to put on your blog (at least, that’s what I use it for!).
It’s just that there is such a thing as TWITTER OVERKILL 🙂
My biggest twitter pet peeve is when it’s not working it drags down my whole site. I like having the feed on my blog, but not if it’s going to break it.
I got into reading blogs because I have a very boring job that requires me to sit in front of a computer all day. So I started to read a lot of blogs, and I often refer to them in converation with people in my life who are not blog readers. And often they don’t get the blog thing.
They feel like blogging entails oversharing, is unnecessary, whatever. And I have mixed feelings, I mean I have started two blogs then stopped them. And I do feel, as a mother of two young adults, that some blogs where people overshare about their children’s bathroom habits or whatnot are gonna provide endless fare for future extreme ( and maybe justified) teenage resentment.
However, that said, I really enjoy the blogs I read. I have read some really uplifting, well written, educational, or amusing posts that have helped get me through my day.
But I don’t see how twitter, with 140 word tweets, can provide that function. I am sure there are some funny people on twitter, but I have a feeling it’s more just boring updates like some of those already quoted in this comment section. That’s why I haven’t checked out twitter. I guess I feel about it the way non-blog readers feel about blogs. Maybe I just need to try it.
I am still trying to figure Twitter out. And I am totally guilty about the @ thing – Had NO IDEA it tweets everyone. Oy vey.
I don’t know about Twitter, it’s fun, but I can see how it’s not for everyone. Different strokes…
DITTO.
I hate the silly ones that keep my phone buzzing in my pocket for totally mundane statements. I’d rather people shared information or at least got clever.
I think everything that annoys me has been covered, but I can’t quit it.
Ever send a tweet from your phone, but send it to another contact accidentally? I did that recently and got a very concerned phone call from a very confused person.
I’m not on twitter because it is too connected with everyone. It’s like micro blogging and I’m too busy to tell people that I just peed. ha. ha. I’ll leave that stuff to full size posts on my blog. It’s what it’s for.
I’m not on Twitter, because I don’t need another thing to be addicted to. I stopped all IMs because it was draining my work productivity (when I was working, and now that I’ve quit, I don’t miss it at all!). I still blog every day because I love doing that, but even that can be an obsession… If my GoogleReader is any indication (I have over 100 subscriptions!), I can get sucked into the lives of others quite easily.
So, I’m glad Twitter is there for the people who love and need it. I’m not strong enough to resist its powers once I join, so I’m staying far, far away. 😉
I do that sometimes, mostly when I’m distracted or replying to an @ comment that I thought was particularly fabulous. *shrug*
What I hate, HATE, is over-twittering (barring live events; then, bring it). Dear god. If you have so much to say, make it a blog post. If you have nothing to say, keep your fingers off the keys.
I honestly can’t imagine why anyone would follow me. I have got to be the most annoying Twitter person ever.
I use Twhirl, so I have it open on my desktop at work – and I use it like group IM. It keeps me company during the day. 🙂
i am obviously in the minority here, because i love the @username when folks are twittering. i follow 17 people and it helps me keep up with what in the hell the folks are talking about. plus, people i follow tweet with others that i don’t follow, so i like knowing that a particular sentence wasn’t meant for me.
although i swear i read your post, i’m still not sure i understand why it bothers some folks.
now reading a message that says “i’m bored” drives me insane.
this is a hilarious thread.
thanks for the explaination!
I am a total luddite– I just couldn’t do it. Too much information. I can’t even keep up with my reader, much less twitter. Plus, I think I would become addicted, and stop blogging because I am twittering. And I like blogging. And blathering, apparently.
The overtwitter KILLS ME. I also think that people who take the time to post a question by @ or dm should usually be replied to. Leaving people hanging is just rude, yo.
I am the techno-dork that had 45 DM before I realized it even existed. My bad.
I don’t mind twittering a blog post update as long as it is not habitual. Most people use it as “This is a special post to me and I hope you read it”. Those that do it all the time? I tune them out.
Twitter makes no sense to me. I barely can find things to say on my blog. Let alone waste some potential postiness on a twitter entry. Bah.
This is why I’m not on Twitter:
http://www.whorl.com (april 15th blog)
and
http://www.schnozzfest.com/blog2/?p=76
They pretty sum up how I feel.
Well, I move s-l-o-w.
Think molasses on a wintry morning. Think post-nap sloth. Think three-year-old dressing herself when we’re already twenty minutes late to school.
Yeah: THAT slow.
So I’m just now getting ’round to saying hi from NaBloPoMo. (Hi.) I just now got a Bloglines account. (Cool!) AND I’m just now Twittering, but tentatively. And slowly.
In an attempt to figure out this whole shebang, I’m now following you, which sounds really creepy. I’m sorry.
But don’t worry; I’m an exceptionally inefficient stalker, on account of the whole slow-moving thing.
ok, being totally honest here. I blocked my own daughter because she was sending me annoying wuestions that shouldn’t have gone through twittter. Bad mom!
Why not just un-follow the offending people?
I love the “break room” feel of Twitter. Lots of mundane crap, bitching, talk about who brought in the cake and isn’t the cake good. But also some of the best jokes or group riffs break out,and I love that. Or a very important convo pushes the game in an interesting way.