Wednesday, January 28, 2009

I hate Twitter

I really do. Yeah, I put up with the other "tweeps" (twerps) on there, and I'll admit I come away from every day with at least three pieces of valuable information, but seriously, how much ass kissing and glad handing can one place - real or virtual - handle. I was an early adopter, as I was with my first blog, with YouTube and with MySpace (although I will admit I looked at Facebook as a college hookup generator for a long time before I gave into its power), but I've never labeled myself as an expert. I've been involved with many forms of social media, and I'm deeply embedded in web 2.0, but I've never called myself a guru or a czar or whatever other title people make up to make themselves look enlightened to their fellow twitterati. I've been to tweetups, and besides the ones I've attended at Maker Faire Austin and other real-world events, they've tended to be groups of twitter users talking about things that most of us real marketers consider common sense and comparing numbers of followers while touting their greatness to the less twitter-savvy. It's group-think at it's finest, and undeserved elitism at its worst. During my first two tweetups, I was shocked by the number of social media "experts" who've never had a real job; their only credentials are that they have a blog, a Facebook page and they're on twitter. They give 20 minute presentations about Twitter etiquette. I couldn't believe I was hearing some of this stuff. It was like a giant social media circle jerk.
I'm no twitter favorite, nor do I attempt to become one. I probably lose as many followers as I gain on a daily basis, and I'm fine with that. I know I'm blunt, I'm opinionated. My views on politics and social media rub the more sensitive the wrong way. It's not that I'm intentionally abrasive; I'm just trying to keep the bullshit level low. I call people out on their pompous arrogance, and never let a stated "fact" go unchecked. This isn't my real-life persona, but I'm just trying to maintain the checks & balances. My theme: If you don't like me, unfollow me. I'm surprised at the number of direct messages I receive thanking me for calling someone out.

Oh, by the way, my name's Dave, this is my new blog, and I can be found on twitter as @DaveMinella.

1 comment:

Jr Deputy Accountant said...

I love this, Dave. It makes me want to throw up when people tout themselves as "experts" and then turn around and ask via private message if you know anyone who is hiring or try to pimp out their e-book.

Now I'm certainly a number whore (it does bruise my ego slightly if I lose a chunk of followers) but I'm not going to change my views or feelings just because someone says so.

Wisdom of crowds, I suppose. And we all know how stupid crowds can be.

F em all! Marketing in this "brave new world" requires much more than simply identifying yourself as an expert - in fact, I'm far less likely to buy what someone is telling me when those words cross their lips.

Great post!!