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[Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter

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  [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2019-02-22 18:15 +0000
    Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2019-02-22 20:00 +0000
      Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Jerry Peters <jerry@example.invalid> - 2019-02-22 21:21 +0000
        Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2019-02-22 22:31 +0000
      Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Computer Nerd Kev <not@telling.you.invalid> - 2019-02-23 06:57 +0000
      Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-02-23 15:16 -0500
        Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2019-02-23 19:42 -0400
          Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2019-02-24 12:30 +0000
            Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2019-02-24 18:09 +0000
            Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Mike Spencer <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> - 2019-02-24 17:02 -0400
        Re: [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2019-02-24 09:01 +0000

#17485 — [Link Posting] I kind of hate Twitter

      ####################################################################
      # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
      # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
      ####################################################################

<URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>

The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>
>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>
>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>  join in. Aside from trolling for victims after some tragedy, Twitter
>  isn't used for reporting much anymore. But it is used for snark.
>
>  Which earned him a chorus of guffaws (and, yes, snark), like this
>  response from Choire Sicha at The Awl:
>
>  Whenever someone writes one of these screeds, they have to ignore that
>  Twitter is entirely self-selecting. You chose who to follow. You chose
>  to behave like a jerk, or a needy child, or a boor. Twitter didn't make
>  you an ass.
>
>  Now, I've never met Mr. Lewis, and since he works at the Daily Caller
>  (ugh) I would have to imagine we wouldn't agree about much if you put us
>  in a room together. But on this point, I think he is right and Mr. Sicha
>  is wrong.
>
>  Which is why I sort of hate Twitter, too.
>
>  To establish my bona fides, I've been using Twitter on and off since
>  2008, as myself and as comic personas Fake John McCain (during the '08
>  election) and Red, White and News. What I experienced there depressed me
>  sufficiently that I eventually walked away from the service completely
>  and stayed away for two years. Last year I got tired of people asking me
>  why I wasn't on Twitter, so I sighed and got back on hoping that
>  something significant had changed. It hadn't.
>
>  Here's my complaint: Mr. Sicha's statement that "Twitter [doesn't] make
>  you an ass" is just wrong. Twitter does make you an ass. In fact, its
>  design makes it difficult for you to be anything else.
>
>  ...

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#17486

On 2019-02-22, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>       ####################################################################
>       # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
>       # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
>       ####################################################################
>
><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>
> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>
>>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>>
>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>  join in. 

Just like Usenet, then.

-- 
Today is Pungenday, the 53rd day of Chaos in the YOLD 3185
'O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas,
            who was once handsome and tall as you.'

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#17487

Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:
> On 2019-02-22, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>       ####################################################################
>>       # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
>>       # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
>>       ####################################################################
>>
>><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>>
>> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>>
>>>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>>>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>>>
>>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>>  join in. 
> 
> Just like Usenet, then.
> 

No, much worse because it's so much faster -- post a twit and other
twits respond to it almost immediately. Contra usenet which sometimes
used to take *days* to propagate a message and follow-ups.

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#17488

On 2019-02-22, Jerry Peters <jerry@example.invalid> wrote:
> Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2019-02-22, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>>       ####################################################################
>>>       # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
>>>       # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
>>>       ####################################################################
>>>
>>><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>>>
>>> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>>>
>>>>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>>>>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>>>>
>>>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>>>  join in. 
>> 
>> Just like Usenet, then.
>> 
>
> No, much worse because it's so much faster -- post a twit and other
> twits respond to it almost immediately. Contra usenet which sometimes
> used to take *days* to propagate a message and follow-ups.

Not in the bits of it I was latterly using. It was entirely possible
to conduct "real time" conversations, 'a la' Twitter on Usenet at
its peak, at least in groups such as uk.misc and alt.tasteless.


-- 
Today is Pungenday, the 53rd day of Chaos in the YOLD 3185
'O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas,
            who was once handsome and tall as you.'

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#17489

Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:
>><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>>
>> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>>
>>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>>  join in. 
> 
> Just like Usenet, then.

From the author's list of "things that make Twitter Twitter", I'd say
that "3. Public" and "6. Semi-Ephemeral" are the only ones really
shared with Usenet. He doesn't mention unmoderated (compared to
Usenet-style manual moderation), but I think that "public" and
"unmoderated" are key to allowing such behaviour to exist, while the
other factors simply harm the signal-to-noise ratio of Twitter
further.

-- 
__          __
#_ < |\| |< _#

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#17490

On 2019-02-22, Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:
> On 2019-02-22, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>       ####################################################################
>>       # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
>>       # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
>>       ####################################################################
>>
>><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>>
>> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>>
>>>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>>>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>>>
>>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>>  join in. 
>
> Just like Usenet, then.
>

The difference is, on Usenet you are subjected to long-form abuse and
multiple-page batshit insanity, whereas on Twitter you are obliged to insult
people in a limited number of characters.

My complaint about Twitter since day one has been that the short form,
character limited restraint impedes coherent discussion and incentives blunt
force flamewarring.  The fact that so many people have to make their point
over multiple, hand-numbered tweets pretty much corroborates my point of
view.

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#17492

RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> writes:

> The difference is, on Usenet you are subjected to long-form abuse
> and multiple-page batshit insanity, whereas on Twitter you are
> obliged to insult people in a limited number of characters.
> 
> My complaint about Twitter since day one has been that the short
> form, character limited restraint impedes coherent discussion and
> incentives blunt force flamewarring.  The fact that so many people
> have to make their point over multiple, hand-numbered tweets pretty
> much corroborates my point of view.

From the first time I heard about Twitter, I inferred that it was
designed explicitly for short attention spans, instant off the cuff
remarks devoid of reflection and gratuitous sneers & insults.  The US
Bdlygma in Chief provides a canonical reference case.

A corollary inference is that there is a substantial demographic base
that will be contented recipients (consumers?) of such messages.

The numbered serial efforts at more structured text enjoy a
Procrustean venue.  There's little reason to think that those
corollary recipients will be receptive to such efforts when they're so
contented in the natural flow of the medium.

-- 
Mike Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada

(Not a Twitter user, of course)

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#17494

In article <87va1aul5f.fsf@bogus.nodomain.nowhere>,
Mike Spencer  <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
...
>Bdlygma in Chief provides a canonical reference case.

What is Bdlygma?  I tried running it through rot13; no joy.

BTW, I prefer "Mango Menace".

Certainly, he and Twitter are made for each other.

-- 
"There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." - Steve Ballmer

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#17495

On 2019-02-24, Kenny McCormack <gazelle@shell.xmission.com> wrote:
> In article <87va1aul5f.fsf@bogus.nodomain.nowhere>,
> Mike Spencer  <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
> ...
>>Bdlygma in Chief provides a canonical reference case.
>
> What is Bdlygma?  I tried running it through rot13; no joy.

*laugh* Me too ...


-- 
Today is Setting Orange, the 55th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3185
'O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas,
            who was once handsome and tall as you.'

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#17496

gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) writes:

> In article <87va1aul5f.fsf@bogus.nodomain.nowhere>,
> Mike Spencer  <mds@bogus.nodomain.nowhere> wrote:
> ...
>> Bdlygma in Chief provides a canonical reference case.
> 
> What is Bdlygma?  I tried running it through rot13; no joy.

A typo on top of a ripped-off Greek word.  Sorry.

     bdelygma  [See: http://img.youtube.com/vi/BnGMkiG_5FQ/default.jpg]

Google will give you many more.

It's the word that James I's biblical translators translated as
"abomination", as in:

    Gospel of  St. Mark 13:14 

    But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
    by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that
    readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the
    mountains...   

    Daniel 9:27 ...and for the overspreading of abominations he shall
    make it desolate...

inter alia in the KJV.  The theology isn't relevant here but the word
is a pretty good choice.  And only fair turnabout as the folks who
later became the Bdelygma's "base" were bandying about allusions to
"Obamanation" a few years back.


> Btw, I prefer "Mango Menace".
> 
> Certainly, he and Twitter are made for each other.
> 
> -- 
> "There's no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance." - Steve Ballmer

-- 
Mike Spencer                  Nova Scotia, Canada

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#17493

On 2019-02-23, RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> On 2019-02-22, Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote:
>> On 2019-02-22, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
>>>       ####################################################################
>>>       # ATTENTION: This post is a reference to a website.  The poster of #
>>>       # this Usenet article is not the author of the referenced website. #
>>>       ####################################################################
>>>
>>><URL:https://jasonlefkowitz.net/2013/02/i-kind-of-hate-twitter/>
>>>
>>> The text below is a quotation from the URL above:
>>>>
>>>>  So conservative writer Matt K. Lewis took to the pages of The Week this
>>>>  week to explain how he hates Twitter:
>>>>
>>>>  Twitter has become like high school, where the mean kids say something
>>>>  hurtful to boost their self-esteem and to see if others will laugh and
>>>>  join in. 
>>
>> Just like Usenet, then.
>>
>
> The difference is, on Usenet you are subjected to long-form abuse and
> multiple-page batshit insanity, whereas on Twitter you are obliged to insult
> people in a limited number of characters.
>
> My complaint about Twitter since day one has been that the short form,
> character limited restraint impedes coherent discussion and incentives blunt
> force flamewarring.  The fact that so many people have to make their point
> over multiple, hand-numbered tweets pretty much corroborates my point of
> view.

It's always been my opinion that if "your" posting needs one of these
mutli-part Tweets, it shouldn't be on Twitter in the first place.


-- 
Today is Setting Orange, the 55th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3185
'O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas,
            who was once handsome and tall as you.'

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