Sharpe's Opinion
Monday, 9th Feb, 2009
Rands is talking, like everyone else, about Twitter, and is essential reading for people who complain about ‘Twitter Spam’:
Every couple of weeks, a meme stressing about ‘an increase in Twitter spam’ wanders the Internet. Each time I see this meme appear, I turn away from my keyboard and bang my head against my desk three times.
Twitter spam. Really? Are you even paying attention? I’ll say it again, you choose who you follow. If you’re following a newsbot, you’re going to get news spam. If you follow a good friend who can’t stop RTing, you’re going to to get retweet spam, but complaining about it is like standing the middle of a freeway asking, ‘Why do these cars keep hitting me?’
I didn’t get Twitter at all until I bit the bullet, started following people that I like and respect, and started joining the conversations they were having. Then I loved it. Now I’m addicted. It’s a slippery slope. (Welcome, Blue Eyes!)
I think the number 1 thing people don’t realise about Twitter is that it isn’t really micro-blogging. It isn’t about you. It isn’t even about ‘what you are doing’. It’s about joining a perpetual conversation between strangers across the world. And Stephen Fry.