why twitter
June 19, 2009 11:59 AM Subscribe
What benefit is there to a twitter account - if I already text via my cell phone and have a myspace account?
Twitter saves a history of your "tweets".. (Not sure if thats a PRO or CON in your book, depending on how you save your SMS,.. but I reference back to twitter much more often than my SMS on my phone. Friends especially like the ability to read back through my twitter feed)
Twitter postings are pushed out to anyone/everyone following you. SMS is typically only 1-to-1 (yes, I know, there are group-SMS services, but Twitter is much easier)
posted by jmnugent at 12:04 PM on June 19, 2009
Twitter postings are pushed out to anyone/everyone following you. SMS is typically only 1-to-1 (yes, I know, there are group-SMS services, but Twitter is much easier)
posted by jmnugent at 12:04 PM on June 19, 2009
I wrote this on my blog (in a post about how I initially didn't see the point of Twitter but gradually sort of saw the point):
It's sort of like IM but better: everyone's content gets merged together, so you can experience it as an ongoing stream rather than a discrete, private conversation...
I see it as an alternative to Facebook [or MySpace] for older people. Twitter might not make sense as an alternative to Facebook if you're in your 20s, but if you're over 40 or so, it allows you to partake in the joys of social media without having to figure out: "What's this Facebook thing all about?"
So I'll keep my account around, simply to stay in touch with interesting people who happen to be middle-aged.
If you know enough interesting people on Twitter who you want to read content from, then keep it. It's different from MySpace and Facebook in that you can get one-liners and links not just from people you know, but also media outlets (NYT, CNN, lots of websites) and celebrities (for instance, I subscribe to Rainn Wilson and Michael Ian Black, and I find them pretty funny).
Now, I have plenty of criticisms of Twitter. I'm not totally sold on it, and I still use Facebook more. But I left out the negative and just gave the positive, since that's what you asked about.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:06 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
It's sort of like IM but better: everyone's content gets merged together, so you can experience it as an ongoing stream rather than a discrete, private conversation...
I see it as an alternative to Facebook [or MySpace] for older people. Twitter might not make sense as an alternative to Facebook if you're in your 20s, but if you're over 40 or so, it allows you to partake in the joys of social media without having to figure out: "What's this Facebook thing all about?"
So I'll keep my account around, simply to stay in touch with interesting people who happen to be middle-aged.
If you know enough interesting people on Twitter who you want to read content from, then keep it. It's different from MySpace and Facebook in that you can get one-liners and links not just from people you know, but also media outlets (NYT, CNN, lots of websites) and celebrities (for instance, I subscribe to Rainn Wilson and Michael Ian Black, and I find them pretty funny).
Now, I have plenty of criticisms of Twitter. I'm not totally sold on it, and I still use Facebook more. But I left out the negative and just gave the positive, since that's what you asked about.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:06 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
FYI, you can see which friends of yours are on Twitter by letting it search through your email contacts. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to have it search for your MySpace or Facebook friends.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:18 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:18 PM on June 19, 2009
Response by poster: So, if I understand this right, it can be like sending out a text message to a designated group of people, say family members, that people are more likely to see immediately than if they have to check their facebook page?
posted by mareli at 12:25 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by mareli at 12:25 PM on June 19, 2009
Twitter is public instant messaging. It's a broadcast system that anyone can hear. You can't do that with texts, or MySpace.
posted by blue_beetle at 12:28 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by blue_beetle at 12:28 PM on June 19, 2009
I'd say twitter serves exactly the same function as myspace or facebook status updates. So you'll have way more control over who sees the tweets than facebook status updated.
I think most people should place only the most minimal information on facebook or myspace. In particular, you're better off moving your status updated to twitter and writing only the most generic comments on myspace or facebookm. I mean, you don't want to offend your boss or mother-in-law by not adding them on facebook or obviously limiting their access.
posted by jeffburdges at 12:32 PM on June 19, 2009
I think most people should place only the most minimal information on facebook or myspace. In particular, you're better off moving your status updated to twitter and writing only the most generic comments on myspace or facebookm. I mean, you don't want to offend your boss or mother-in-law by not adding them on facebook or obviously limiting their access.
posted by jeffburdges at 12:32 PM on June 19, 2009
Twitter's just the latest manifestation of social media, so there's been a mass migration to it (similar to the shift from MySpace to Facebook that went on a couple years ago). I'm honestly surprised people still use MySpace-- if it fills your needs, more power to you, but it's more or less obsolete unless you have a band.
Plus, the use of hash tags allows for some really interesting large scale movements-- most notably the #iranelection phenomenon, which is still going strong.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:33 PM on June 19, 2009
Plus, the use of hash tags allows for some really interesting large scale movements-- most notably the #iranelection phenomenon, which is still going strong.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:33 PM on June 19, 2009
In Seattle at least, some public agencies and businesses who have to get info out quickly to a mobile audience use Twitter to relay their messages.
So, I use it to follow what the local bus lines are doing, and also to follow where my favorite portable street food vendors are going to be, if they're open/closed, out of food, etc. I never tweet myself, but reading a tweet that Vendor X is out of Desired and Craved Food Item Y before I get there to find out in person can save me time and effort.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:35 PM on June 19, 2009
So, I use it to follow what the local bus lines are doing, and also to follow where my favorite portable street food vendors are going to be, if they're open/closed, out of food, etc. I never tweet myself, but reading a tweet that Vendor X is out of Desired and Craved Food Item Y before I get there to find out in person can save me time and effort.
posted by spinifex23 at 12:35 PM on June 19, 2009
Twitter is also turning out to be interesting as a topical media, which is what dramatically differentiates it from social networking focused tools IMHO (it's an interesting hybrid between a social and a broadcast medium). Pick a hashtag or even just a keyword and search on it, learn new things about a field you're interested in, or get updates on unfolding events.
posted by weston at 12:38 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by weston at 12:38 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Twitter is more broadcast-y than SMS. My usual explanation is that twitter : IM/SMS :: blogs : email.
Hashtags are stuff like #foo; there are various things that recognize text like that as a searchable keyword so you can aggregate tweets by subject rather than just by sender.
posted by hattifattener at 12:41 PM on June 19, 2009
Hashtags are stuff like #foo; there are various things that recognize text like that as a searchable keyword so you can aggregate tweets by subject rather than just by sender.
posted by hattifattener at 12:41 PM on June 19, 2009
A hash tag is just a pound sign (#) in front of a word. When you use it, Twitter compiles your tweet with tweets from other users that also include a hash tag and the same word. It's useful for tracking hot topics as they become popular.
That probably makes no sense if you don't already use Twitter, so check out the #iranelection results for (hopefully) a clearer picture. It looks like a jumbled mess, but it's actually been one of the most important sources for understanding what, exactly, has been going on in Iran since the election.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:41 PM on June 19, 2009
That probably makes no sense if you don't already use Twitter, so check out the #iranelection results for (hopefully) a clearer picture. It looks like a jumbled mess, but it's actually been one of the most important sources for understanding what, exactly, has been going on in Iran since the election.
posted by oinopaponton at 12:41 PM on June 19, 2009
So, if I understand this right, it can be like sending out a text message to a designated group of people, say family members, that people are more likely to see immediately than if they have to check their facebook page?
When you post to Twitter, it goes online for any internet user to read. In that way, it's like having a normal public blog, but restricted to 140-character posts. On top of that, Twitter users who are "following" you (analogous to MySpace friends) will see it on their homepage. The exception is if you opt for a private account, in which case only people who are "following" you can read it, not the general public.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:45 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
When you post to Twitter, it goes online for any internet user to read. In that way, it's like having a normal public blog, but restricted to 140-character posts. On top of that, Twitter users who are "following" you (analogous to MySpace friends) will see it on their homepage. The exception is if you opt for a private account, in which case only people who are "following" you can read it, not the general public.
posted by Jaltcoh at 12:45 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
When you tweet about a particular subject, you can include a hash tag (#) next to the subject or topic (see oinopaponton's #iranelection example). This allows others who are interested in the topic to follow your tweets and related tweets. It also helps groups, such as protesters, organize real-world activities.
posted by lunalaguna at 12:46 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by lunalaguna at 12:46 PM on June 19, 2009
Twitter is like the facebook updates w/o the rest of facebook. Or, you could look at it as a big, distributed chat room or like speakers corner, where everyone is mostly talking to themselves, and every once in a while they'll notice and reply to what someone else has said, or someone else will notice and reply to what they have said.
You can sync it up with your facebook page so that your tweets become your facebook status.
You can make it public - anyone can see your tweets and/or follow you, or you can make it private - you have to approve followers and your tweets are restricted and viewable only to the people who are following you.
Twitter doesn't duplicate the myspace experience, so having both isn't redundant. It's not classic social networking. It really isn't meant serve the same purpose as text, though it can. If you're the sort to want to express your random, fleeting, profound, relevant (anything goes) thoughts in 140 characters or less, to everybody and/or nobody in particular, twitter might be your thing. If not, eh, it's not for everyone (I'm still trying to figure out how it works in to my life).
posted by necessitas at 12:47 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
You can sync it up with your facebook page so that your tweets become your facebook status.
You can make it public - anyone can see your tweets and/or follow you, or you can make it private - you have to approve followers and your tweets are restricted and viewable only to the people who are following you.
Twitter doesn't duplicate the myspace experience, so having both isn't redundant. It's not classic social networking. It really isn't meant serve the same purpose as text, though it can. If you're the sort to want to express your random, fleeting, profound, relevant (anything goes) thoughts in 140 characters or less, to everybody and/or nobody in particular, twitter might be your thing. If not, eh, it's not for everyone (I'm still trying to figure out how it works in to my life).
posted by necessitas at 12:47 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Most of the major museums in London are on twitter. I'm always learning about special events from them. My local coffee shop posts their daily specials on twitter. I also subscribe to twitter feeds of folks who post special/underground events in London.
All those are good reasons, I think.
posted by vacapinta at 12:54 PM on June 19, 2009
All those are good reasons, I think.
posted by vacapinta at 12:54 PM on June 19, 2009
I follow a couple of my favorite local businesses, some 'celebrities' that I find interesting, and of course my well-dispersed group of friends. As I'm ramping up to publish something here, I will also be using it for a little bit of marketing.
I like it because it is so painfully simple that the users are able to define all of the trends that occur on it. For example, the hashtags as mentioned before, but also re-tweets (tweeting something that someone you follow has tweeted), twitpic (pictures that you can link to within your twitter account, designed to be easy to manage from a cellphone).
Also, because it is so simple I am of the opinion that twittering is as interesting as the user makes it. If you don't follow interesting people, or don't care to be creative in your tweets, then yes it is kind of useless. Track down some interesting folks to follow, and put a few seconds of thought into your tweets and it can be a lot of fun. Not to mention a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and stumbling across interesting factoids.
posted by nameless.k at 1:02 PM on June 19, 2009
I like it because it is so painfully simple that the users are able to define all of the trends that occur on it. For example, the hashtags as mentioned before, but also re-tweets (tweeting something that someone you follow has tweeted), twitpic (pictures that you can link to within your twitter account, designed to be easy to manage from a cellphone).
Also, because it is so simple I am of the opinion that twittering is as interesting as the user makes it. If you don't follow interesting people, or don't care to be creative in your tweets, then yes it is kind of useless. Track down some interesting folks to follow, and put a few seconds of thought into your tweets and it can be a lot of fun. Not to mention a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and stumbling across interesting factoids.
posted by nameless.k at 1:02 PM on June 19, 2009
So, if I understand this right, it can be like sending out a text message to a designated group of people, say family members, that people are more likely to see immediately than if they have to check their facebook page?
If that's what you want to use it for, yes. If Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Bro are all following you, you could use Twitter to say you're at the restaurant already but there's a 50 minute wait time, so let's all go down the street to the Chinese place. Heck of a lot easier than trying to coordinate it via phone calls. But I don't see any reason to restrict it to family or people you know.
Your profile mentions you're a reference librarian. By my estimate, there are 352,613,761 librarians on Twitter (and that's a conservative estimate). You can learn about the latest and greatest in your field by following some other librarians, especially prominent ones. If there's a library-related conference, you can easily see what others are saying about it via hashtags (say, #ala2009 - I'm making this part up because I'm not a librarian). A quick search would tell you that such-and-such seminar is GREAT but avoid this one and by the way they're all out of complimentary donuts in conference room B.
Maybe you wrote a blog entry on some new library technique - post a link to twitter with the hashtags #library #whatever and people who are looking for "whatever" will find you and by extension, your blog.
For me, it's a low-investment way to be social. I'm too lazy to write long blog entries. I don't want to invest huge amounts of emotional energy into relationships with people I'm probably not going to meet. I like to be on top of things - I like to know what's going on NOW. I've found out about lots of things on Twitter that I didn't know existed before - movies, restaurants, software, news. It's amazing to be following someone from Iran and reading up-to-the-minute details on what's happening.
I'm rambling on and on, but just try it. Nothing to be afraid of.
posted by desjardins at 1:15 PM on June 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
If that's what you want to use it for, yes. If Mom, Dad, Uncle, and Bro are all following you, you could use Twitter to say you're at the restaurant already but there's a 50 minute wait time, so let's all go down the street to the Chinese place. Heck of a lot easier than trying to coordinate it via phone calls. But I don't see any reason to restrict it to family or people you know.
Your profile mentions you're a reference librarian. By my estimate, there are 352,613,761 librarians on Twitter (and that's a conservative estimate). You can learn about the latest and greatest in your field by following some other librarians, especially prominent ones. If there's a library-related conference, you can easily see what others are saying about it via hashtags (say, #ala2009 - I'm making this part up because I'm not a librarian). A quick search would tell you that such-and-such seminar is GREAT but avoid this one and by the way they're all out of complimentary donuts in conference room B.
Maybe you wrote a blog entry on some new library technique - post a link to twitter with the hashtags #library #whatever and people who are looking for "whatever" will find you and by extension, your blog.
For me, it's a low-investment way to be social. I'm too lazy to write long blog entries. I don't want to invest huge amounts of emotional energy into relationships with people I'm probably not going to meet. I like to be on top of things - I like to know what's going on NOW. I've found out about lots of things on Twitter that I didn't know existed before - movies, restaurants, software, news. It's amazing to be following someone from Iran and reading up-to-the-minute details on what's happening.
I'm rambling on and on, but just try it. Nothing to be afraid of.
posted by desjardins at 1:15 PM on June 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
Also, I'll go against the conventional wisdom and suggest you don't follow people you know, at least not at first, or exclusively. Instead, use the people finder to look for people you're interested in - a leader in your field, an author, a musician. Someone who is likely to know a lot of other interesting people. Then watch THEIR feed and follow the people who interest you. Many of them will follow you back, and then you can have a dialogue. I've talked to people who I'd never get the chance to speak to in real life, simply because of the low investment of the medium.
posted by desjardins at 1:20 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by desjardins at 1:20 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Here's a quick guide to how it works (which I tried to compose without using a real example, but that didn't work well. I seriously hope this does not count as self-linking.)
I signed up and got a twitter account with my name, Sabrina Dent, making me @sabrinadent. If you view my @sabrinadent Twitter page, you can see:
1/ All of the tweets I've sent to specific people. These turn up on each individual's Twitter page.
These are essentially semi-public conversations between two (sometimes more) people. So you can see a question I asked on Twitter, a reply I got, what I asked in response, etc. The whole conversation appears on my Twitter page, and is very easy for me to follow (although it's less easy for you to follow as it's not your page. Sorry about that.)
2/ All of the stuff I've just randomly said, which essentially broadcasts it to everyone following me.
This is useful because, for example, I had a fairly specific question question today. I sent it off to my Twitter followers, and got a ton of handy answers directed to me within about 3 minutes. Yay!
Twitter also allows you to "tag" tweets using #hashtags. It is a very similar concept to tagging posts on MeFi, like the "communication" tag you added to this post. By searching for #iranelection, for example, you can see all tweets with that tag.
This is great for events as well and is commonly used for conferences. You'll find a ton of tweets tagged for conferences like #sxsw (South by Southwest) #ted (TED) #barcamp (barcamp) which is really useful if you're attending an event and want to know what the people around you are thinking, or if you are missing an event. I'm sure there will TONS of #mefi10 tweets, for example.
Anyway, that is a very broad outline. There is a lot more finite level stuff having to do with who is following whom, public vs private updates, blocking, etc but I hope that's a useful answer to your "what is the benefit of Twitter?" question.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:23 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
I signed up and got a twitter account with my name, Sabrina Dent, making me @sabrinadent. If you view my @sabrinadent Twitter page, you can see:
1/ All of the tweets I've sent to specific people. These turn up on each individual's Twitter page.
These are essentially semi-public conversations between two (sometimes more) people. So you can see a question I asked on Twitter, a reply I got, what I asked in response, etc. The whole conversation appears on my Twitter page, and is very easy for me to follow (although it's less easy for you to follow as it's not your page. Sorry about that.)
2/ All of the stuff I've just randomly said, which essentially broadcasts it to everyone following me.
This is useful because, for example, I had a fairly specific question question today. I sent it off to my Twitter followers, and got a ton of handy answers directed to me within about 3 minutes. Yay!
Twitter also allows you to "tag" tweets using #hashtags. It is a very similar concept to tagging posts on MeFi, like the "communication" tag you added to this post. By searching for #iranelection, for example, you can see all tweets with that tag.
This is great for events as well and is commonly used for conferences. You'll find a ton of tweets tagged for conferences like #sxsw (South by Southwest) #ted (TED) #barcamp (barcamp) which is really useful if you're attending an event and want to know what the people around you are thinking, or if you are missing an event. I'm sure there will TONS of #mefi10 tweets, for example.
Anyway, that is a very broad outline. There is a lot more finite level stuff having to do with who is following whom, public vs private updates, blocking, etc but I hope that's a useful answer to your "what is the benefit of Twitter?" question.
posted by DarlingBri at 1:23 PM on June 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'm in my late 20's and very tech savvy, but I abstained from Myspace (my wife setup a profile for me, and it just sat there for a couple of years unattended) and never bothered with Facebook (which is what my wife and all her friends use to communicate). I don't have any desire to see my friends' updates on the mundane details of their daily life - not to say its bad or not fun, but just not my thing.
For me, Twitter is an entirely different animal than Facebook status updates (although you can use them interchangably if you so desire). I follow about 50-60 people, and it breaks down into a handful of categories:
1. Friends and Family - Some of the "I'm going to floss my teeth!" comments are there, but it isn't overpowering. I also get a little insight to what my friends in other parts of the country are up to in their lives.
2. People and businesses of local interest - Allows me to professionally keep track of events going on in the area.
3. Comedians and celebrities - I restrict this to people who post funny or interesting behind-the-scenes details of their work. There is something cool about seeing an iPhone picture of the Mythbusters rocket being built on set that I will then see several months later on the show @donttrythis, @grantimahara
4. Professionals in my industry - I can follow people in a professional setting no matter where they are. Surprisingly, the interaction level is quite high for this, many of them then turn around and follow my Twitter as well. My brother has already had two music production jobs come up through his Twitter postings.
5. People commenting about my location - This is very specific, but I live and work in a tourism based local economy, so it is very interesting to see hundreds of comments daily from real people visiting or planning to visit. Certainly not a research study, but provides a lot of insight.
Keeping that in mind, I use Twitter mainly to follow, not to post. I only post something I think is worthwhile professionally, a picture my family and friends will enjoy, or occassionally a silly line.
posted by shinynewnick at 1:23 PM on June 19, 2009
For me, Twitter is an entirely different animal than Facebook status updates (although you can use them interchangably if you so desire). I follow about 50-60 people, and it breaks down into a handful of categories:
1. Friends and Family - Some of the "I'm going to floss my teeth!" comments are there, but it isn't overpowering. I also get a little insight to what my friends in other parts of the country are up to in their lives.
2. People and businesses of local interest - Allows me to professionally keep track of events going on in the area.
3. Comedians and celebrities - I restrict this to people who post funny or interesting behind-the-scenes details of their work. There is something cool about seeing an iPhone picture of the Mythbusters rocket being built on set that I will then see several months later on the show @donttrythis, @grantimahara
4. Professionals in my industry - I can follow people in a professional setting no matter where they are. Surprisingly, the interaction level is quite high for this, many of them then turn around and follow my Twitter as well. My brother has already had two music production jobs come up through his Twitter postings.
5. People commenting about my location - This is very specific, but I live and work in a tourism based local economy, so it is very interesting to see hundreds of comments daily from real people visiting or planning to visit. Certainly not a research study, but provides a lot of insight.
Keeping that in mind, I use Twitter mainly to follow, not to post. I only post something I think is worthwhile professionally, a picture my family and friends will enjoy, or occassionally a silly line.
posted by shinynewnick at 1:23 PM on June 19, 2009
The thing that was compelling to me about Twitter is that by using it regularly (there's a Firefox tool, it will text you, iPhone app etc) and having my friends use it regularly really helps me feel connected to people I don't have the chance to interact with personally on a regular basis.
This comment is mostly backwards though. Facebook has privacy filters so you can choose who sees your status updates, while Twitter is completely public for anyone who knows your username. FYI, you can use a Twitter app on Facebook so that whenever you update twitter, it updates your Facebook account. That's how I bridge the gap between people who do one, but not the other and remain lazy all at once.
I don't think you'll really get it until you start using an account and following people you like though. For a lot of people Twitter is one of those things that doesn't necessarily sell well by description--it's at its best through the experience of it.
posted by Kimberly at 1:56 PM on June 19, 2009
This comment is mostly backwards though. Facebook has privacy filters so you can choose who sees your status updates, while Twitter is completely public for anyone who knows your username. FYI, you can use a Twitter app on Facebook so that whenever you update twitter, it updates your Facebook account. That's how I bridge the gap between people who do one, but not the other and remain lazy all at once.
I don't think you'll really get it until you start using an account and following people you like though. For a lot of people Twitter is one of those things that doesn't necessarily sell well by description--it's at its best through the experience of it.
posted by Kimberly at 1:56 PM on June 19, 2009
following on blue_beetle's comment, a friend of mine offered to set up a twitter account for me before i evacuated for gustav last year. during & after katrina, cell phones didn't work except for texting. the rationale was that i could tweet my whereabouts & condition & everyone who was interested in what was going on with me could follow it. so, rather than send out a gazillion emails, i could set up the account & anyone interested could follow it. i didn't do it, but i keep considering setting one up. hurricane season is, after all, once more upon us.
posted by msconduct at 2:43 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by msconduct at 2:43 PM on June 19, 2009
Re: who can see it. It's 'everyone' or 'just people I allow' (locked). There's no filtering ability, that is, you can't let friend A see it and not let friend B see it.
posted by cobaltnine at 3:41 PM on June 19, 2009
posted by cobaltnine at 3:41 PM on June 19, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all of your answers!
It still kind of spooks me thinking about people following each other around...
posted by mareli at 5:33 PM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
It still kind of spooks me thinking about people following each other around...
posted by mareli at 5:33 PM on June 20, 2009 [1 favorite]
A private twitter feed seems far far more private than facebook's rather dubious privacy filters Kimberly :
(1) twitter need not be tied to your real name or professional email,
(2) you can easily have multiple twitter accounts,
(3) facebook's privacy system changes or breaks occasionally,
(4) people know if you've restricted them on facebook.
So you can have your superficial facebook account that covers family and coworkers, but use twitter to spam your friends with funny links, and never worry about those links offending grandparents or coworkers.
posted by jeffburdges at 6:06 PM on June 20, 2009
(1) twitter need not be tied to your real name or professional email,
(2) you can easily have multiple twitter accounts,
(3) facebook's privacy system changes or breaks occasionally,
(4) people know if you've restricted them on facebook.
So you can have your superficial facebook account that covers family and coworkers, but use twitter to spam your friends with funny links, and never worry about those links offending grandparents or coworkers.
posted by jeffburdges at 6:06 PM on June 20, 2009
(4) people know if you've restricted them on facebook.
Not really, though.
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:57 AM on June 21, 2009
Not really, though.
posted by Jaltcoh at 10:57 AM on June 21, 2009
Umm, it's pretty damn obvious when you can't see some standard facebook component. You can usually assume it's being used if you can't see it.
posted by jeffburdges at 3:41 AM on June 22, 2009
posted by jeffburdges at 3:41 AM on June 22, 2009
It still kind of spooks me thinking about people following each other around...
What are you talking about? Just don't post your location.
By the way, I'm going to the hardware store later. I'm also dropping off some videos at Blockbuster and stopping by the village hall to pay my water bill, in case anyone wants to stalk me. Seriously, no one cares unless you are a celebrity. And if that's true, then just don't tweet where you are.
posted by desjardins at 7:40 AM on June 23, 2009
What are you talking about? Just don't post your location.
By the way, I'm going to the hardware store later. I'm also dropping off some videos at Blockbuster and stopping by the village hall to pay my water bill, in case anyone wants to stalk me. Seriously, no one cares unless you are a celebrity. And if that's true, then just don't tweet where you are.
posted by desjardins at 7:40 AM on June 23, 2009
Umm, it's pretty damn obvious when you can't see some standard facebook component. You can usually assume it's being used if you can't see it.
Isn't it possible they're just a minimal Facebook user and didn't fill in that part? Aren't almost all Facebook components optional? You're not required to have a photo or a region; you don't need to fill in personal info that you don't want, etc.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:22 AM on June 24, 2009
Isn't it possible they're just a minimal Facebook user and didn't fill in that part? Aren't almost all Facebook components optional? You're not required to have a photo or a region; you don't need to fill in personal info that you don't want, etc.
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:22 AM on June 24, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:02 PM on June 19, 2009 [2 favorites]