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Meanland Extract: On the Twitters

Michelle Baranga October 19

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I swore I’d never sign up to Twitter. ‘What’s the point?’ I’d ask. ‘It’s just status updates like Facebook.’

In June 2009 I found myself deciding what my Twitter username would be.

What bought about this change in attitude? Well, Grods, if you must know. Scott made the announcement that Bron had signed up. She had previously been as vocal as I had about the obvious pointless act of being part of the Twitter masses.

We were both wrong.

I hear time and again that it’s an exercise in vanity. That no-one wants to hear what you had for breakfast, updates are narcissistic, the tedious chatter isn’t worth your time.

Yes, following celebrities** is amusing at first but with the occasional exception, they are quite repetitive and dull. Most politicians aren’t much better, with many leaving the updates to staffers who will only make scheduling announcements. Malcolm Turnbull is the perfect example of a politician who uses the medium well, and if you mention Tony Burke to any politics obsessive on Twitter they’ll probably reminisce about #tweetlikeTonyBurke at its height.



Read the rest over at Meanland.


 

 

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