Twetiquette: another question

[policywonk]

Do you ever initiate conversations with fellow Twittees whom you don't actually know? Say, someone who's following you and you're following them, but you don't know each other? (I'm talking about Jo/e Bloggs, not Stephen fecking Fry.)

I'm in this situation with a few people (not MNers, I don't think). I keep feeling that it's somehow rude to be getting all these Tweets and never respond to them. But I'm conflicted (partly because the people I'm thinking of in particular are Men, I think. Well I know they're Men, but I think that's why I'm conflicted. Is it flirting?)

Confused of Surrey

I think I might have answered my own question. If they were women I'd just be Tweeting away and not fretting about it.

'Any old followers' - yes, that's about it

Is it the general rule that you're supposed to respond then? Is this what people actually do, even when they don't know you? I mean, people who don't know me haven't responded to any of mine.

But it does seem odd that I've been getting messages - got one the other day from a bloke who'd just discovered that he's broken his hand - it seems rude not to respond. But maybe I'm fundamentally misunderstanding something about the way Twitter works.

Anyway, I've decided that so long as I'm saying things I'd be perfectly happy with DP reading I can't go too far wrong. (I think I've been a SAHM for so long that I've forgotten how to initiate contact with men.)

I think, if I were you, that I would just respond to the Tweets that interest you. Regardless of who they're from.

It staggers me the number of people who are following me, who don't know me at all.

And I only tweet absolute drivel. Your tweets are more fundamentally sound than mine, so you are bound to attract more interest.

Try and take gender out of the equation and just go on the basis of the level of intellect.

You're very kind BIWI I've been tweeting nonsense this weekend.

Yes, it's weird how complete strangers start following you isn't it? And then you have to follow them back, to be polite. It's a strange little world.

Yes, trying to proceed on basis of 'oh that's interesting' is probably best.

I'm being followed by Maude the Cow. That's how interesting my tweets are!

Or twatted?

That Maude, she's a right old Twitter slag (twag?)

I love Twitter. Because it's so trivial.

I have a couple of people I follow/who follow me who are so serious/worthy it's truly cringemaking. But it obviously works for them.

For me, the challenge is getting slebs to reply to me. So far I have only managed it with Alan Davies (who I heart lustfully).

Just don't take it seriously.

When I first went to meet OneBat off-board, my mother was VERY concerned that she would turn out to be a great hairy psycho man (and, of course, the funny thing is that she is).

I never reply to slebs (although I do follow a couple). I have my metaphorical nose in the air.

Hah. I've heard that about OneBat.