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AIBU?

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Original poster

to not understand Twitter ..............

74 replies

BeCool · 14/06/2013 15:15

I can do FB - no problem. I use a computer all day - I'm go genius on it but I get along.

But Twitter is a total mystery to me. I opened an account years ago but never got my head around it. I've asked people to explain it but I still don't get it.

Now I just had a look at the MN Bounty Twitter feed (I believe it is the correct terminology) and my head is hurting - it's like text speak but with lots of @#@~####:'s all thrown in. And all these links - WTF is going on?

I once entered a photo comp on Twitter - or at least I think I did. I have no idea if my photo got to where it was ment to go, or how indeed I would find out.

I thought at least the MN Twitter I'd be able to manage

It makes me feel out of touch and (gasp) old ! Most of the time I don't really care, but really is it that tricky? Is FB destined to be my social media limit? Does anyone else not get it? Am I being a Luddite?

OP posts:
navada · 14/06/2013 18:46

I've been on twitter for years, it really is very boring, so much so that the most interesting person I now follow is someone called 'boring tweeter' - he's hilarious.

cortado · 14/06/2013 18:47

Twitter is where the people too dumb for Facebook go.

Tee2072 · 14/06/2013 18:56

Just the opposite, actually, cortado. Lots of people d

Tee2072 · 14/06/2013 18:56

Damn phone...

Lots of people don't get Twitter. Everyone understands FB.

changeforthebetter · 14/06/2013 19:06

I don't get.Twitter either. I have an account but have never treated anything. a bit of a fb boast/rant to people who know me, I can understand but to just throw a comment out there? cba Grin

exoticfruits · 14/06/2013 19:09

I have never understand it either- I haven't found anything remotely interesting.

exoticfruits · 14/06/2013 19:11

I am trying an experiment. I am completely anonymous and make a tweet a day- I now have 7 followers and have been retweeted!! I don't understand # tags or use them.

mrsjay · 14/06/2013 19:31

Forgot one thing: Use Tweetdeck or Hootsuite and you can organize your Twitter much better than using Twitters website.

I am reading your words tee but all im reading is blah Grin

I have an account i did follow people but I find it really boring Blush

mrsjay · 14/06/2013 19:32

My friends husband has a female following on twitter Hmm and she thinks it is really cute I find it really sinister

dreamofwhitehorses · 14/06/2013 20:00

I use twitter and not FB apart from a business FB page. I tweet as my business so I tweet a mix of comments related to my industry, light personal stuff, which helps build up a relationship with followers and hopefully turn them into potential customers, and local stuff about my area.

I don't really understand when people say twitter is boring, you choose who you follow, so if your twitter feed is boring you need to be following different people. Some examples of interesting twitter feeds I follow, a guy who tweets really interesting astronomical stuff to look out for like meteor showers, satellites etc. Local listings to let me know what is happening in my area, a children's book blogger who also posts really witty stuff about the daily commute.

As said upthread # at the beginning of a word will link all tweets with that word together. So everyone watching Game of Thrones and tweeting would put #GoT at the end of the tweet and searching #GoT would let you see everyone's comments.

Most of the business's in our town use twitter and follow each other on it, we retweet an promote each other and use it to stay in the loop about local events. We would use #nameoftown on our tweets so anyone looking for info about the area would see it.

CitizenOscar · 14/06/2013 20:10

As dreamof says, if your twitter feed is boring, you're following boring tweeters. It's a platform, it doesn't have a personality of its own. It's like when people complain Facebook is boring or narcissistic. No, the people you're friends with on Facebook are boring or narcissistic. Just befriend or follow nice, interesting people and it'll all be ok.

Or just go and read a book or something if you prefer. No one will mind.

changeforthebetter · 14/06/2013 20:18

I do get punctuation but my fat fingers and touchpad don't Blush

Absolutelylost · 14/06/2013 21:16

I read somewhere that tweeting is the equivalent of going into a supermarket and shouting 'I'm buying oranges'. I like Facebook but I can't seem to get twitter at all. I think I would have to give up my job to keep on top of it.

MmeLindor · 14/06/2013 21:20

Thanks for linking to my book, Euphemia. The next cheesecake is on me :)

BeCool
The book is quite light, and very short (although most of the info has been mentioned on this thread tbh)

Twitter can be great fun, when you are following the right people. If you only follow celebs and business accounts, it will be boring.

mrsjay · 14/06/2013 21:21

I heard today on e news that the Kardashians have over 5 million followers who know Kim kardashian was so interesting

Tee2072 · 14/06/2013 21:24

Actually? She has 17m

Lord knows why.

mrsjay · 14/06/2013 21:25

Oh I am a few million short Shock maybe it was a minor kardashian that has 5 million

MmeLindor · 14/06/2013 21:29

Justin Bieber gets thousands of RTs when he says something totally banal.

There are v few slebs who actually reply to their followers. I don't follow very many now cause they are so boring.

meglet · 14/06/2013 21:31

It's taken me a couple of years to really get into it, Twitter isn't as instant as FB or MN. You could only follow inane slebs if you wished (although George Michael and Samuel L Jackson are funny when they rant) but they are usually the least interesting people out there, it needs a bit of digging around to find the gems.

I use it for news and gossip, mainly journos and left-wing smart arses. It comes in handy for local knowledge too, I can search for the name of my town and check traffic / local events.

There is only one person I know in RL on my twitter feed, the rest of them are strangers (albeit funny, chatty, supportive ones).

piratecat · 14/06/2013 21:59

i have a question. I tried to change my background colour to one of the others, the star one. It changes, then when i go back to open it later, it's now all black.

have googled, and al i see are the simple instructions on how to change it, but it stays black.

can anyone help?

MmeLindor · 14/06/2013 22:02

Pirate
can you change it back to the normal one? Then start again. I seem to remember that sometimes it doesn't seem to work.

You can also upload your own background.

MmeLindor · 14/06/2013 22:03

Pirate
have you tried using a different browser? Might be a Chrome issue.

piratecat · 14/06/2013 22:11

hiya i have tried various of the preset ones MmeLindor, including the original.
I did have a pop at putting one of my arty landscapes on, but that didn't work either.

I use firefox, if that's makes any difference?

piratecat · 14/06/2013 22:14

arghh and when i change it, even tho i ssave the changes it goes to the one I picked previously. If I leave the page,when i go back, it's black again.

#notaclue

MmeLindor · 14/06/2013 22:15

I think it sometimes takes a few mins to update, so maybe wait a bit and see what happens.

I had a good website with instructions. Will see if I can find it.