November 18, 2012

  • #wtf

    I understand hashtags. I know why they exist and their purpose. I swear.

    For those of you who might benefit, a brief explanation is not out of order. The hashtag arose with the advent of the Twitteroo. It's a simple way for a user to identify the nature of the tweet so that others looking for tweets of a particular nature can easily find them. For example, if I post about how the temperature is perfect, I might follow the tweet with the hashtag "# weather." The # was a significant part of programmer language and was tapped to solve a problem about how to associate certain, related tweety-peets.

    So, when I use them on my status updates or in a text message, you should know that its use is deliberate. That is, I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING. I think this moderate inappropriateness is quirky and comical. It's even funnier because I'm not a part of the Twittersphere. Plus, a hashtag can establish a context that is otherwise difficult to create via written media. For example, compare the change in meaning in the following two examples:

    1. "It's hard to juggle and talk at the same time."
    2. "It's hard to juggle and talk at the same time." #deafpeopleproblems

    I should not have to explain the added value that a hashtag can create to the Internet-savvy: it's like facial expression or voice inflection for the IntArWebZ. But, sometimes people just don't get it...

    Today, while texting one of my hermanitos, he referred to my use of the hashtag at the end of a message as "weird." I thought the objectionable hashtag served a rather useful communicative function. It recognized that my particular shortcoming in this endeavor was natural for me given my history of general awkwardness. We were talking about some expression and he had turned it into a double-entendre, but I didn't know if he misunderstood the phrase or was making a joke...so I elaborated. Then, after a little more discourse, I realized that I had misunderstood and ended the string with #TypicalTrey. That's when I got the "weird" comment. Then he had the AUDACITY to say "I'm just trying to help you out..."

    It's like he thinks I don't think about what I'm doing. This was upsetting.--more than upsetting. It was an outrage, as the picture indicates. BOOO! I was mad for a while. Then I got over it...mostly.

    Do you ever use hasthags outside of Twitter? What does it add to your message?

Comments (10)

  • #iusehashtagsoutsideoftwitter, #whywouldnti, #yourfriendisweird, #imhavingtoomuchfunwiththis

  • I am not sure if I fully understand Twitter (and its use). LOL What I wondered is how one comes up with the hashtags. You might use #weather to talk about the weather; I might use #damn_clouds to talk about the weather.

  • Too many new things and is not easy to keep up to date.

    I like tweeter but it is too much and do it much less than I would have liked.I don't know, used in the right way can add some value. I'm not just there yet.

  • @Rob_of_the_Sky - I KNOW! It unlocks new planes of communication, which when properly implemented and understood, can only propel humanity forward. #dreambig #baselessaspirations

    @beowulf222 - That's what makes it awesome! I think you can include more than one tag with each post...they can even come in the middle of the tweet.

    @carlo - I don't use it. I rarely need to say the same thing to masses of people at the same time. I think the Twitter has reached its peak and will only decline from this point forward. But, I could be wrong. I'm not "in the know" when it comes to tech companies.

  • @TutelageOfTheMundane - Do you tweet?

  • @beowulf222 - No, I'm not a part of the tweetie-feeds. It's not the best medium for me. Besides, I'd get super obsessed about who's following me, how many followers I have, etc. I just stay away from the Twitter. I just think it's fun to use conventions from one social media site on another...especially one, like hashtags, that have a communicative value even beyond Twitter.

  • Est-ce que tout ceci contribue à la richesse du language et à ses délicates subtilités sand parler de la correction orthographique et grammaticale ?
    Amitié

    Michel

  • RYC : new borns are a source of perpetual astonishment and in that way they maintain us young ! 
     Les nouveaux nés sont une source de perpétuel étonnement et dans ce sens ils nous maintiennent jeunes .

    Amitié

    Michel

  • @fauquet -C’est une question assez complexe. Je crois profondément qu’il est nécessaire d’apprendre et bien comprendre l’orthographe, la grammaire, etc. Mais, en même temps, une déviation de ces « règles » a aussi un pouvoir communicatif. C’est-à-dire, on fait une expression—intentionnellement ou pas—en suivant ou désobéissant les règles. Ce qui est exprimé, c’est la différence entre une coquille et un calembour (ou une ligne mémorable de poésie).

    Ces nouveautés de « social media » trouvent leur place parmi les structures qui déjà existent. Puis, la richesse contribuée vient des nouvelles formes d’expression qui ont été créés et la vitesse avec laquelle quelqu’un reçoit un message. Quelques fois on contourne (abusivement) les règles, mais ces déviations doivent trouver un entendre dans leur propre contexte. Pour Twitter, il n’y a pas d’espace entre les mots, mais la bonne orthographe est très importante (plus importante que sur Xanga ou Facebook)…Donc, je pense que ceci est tout simplement un nouveau niveau de subtilité.

    J’aime beaucoup que vous me posiez ces questions et commentaires en français ! Ici, le français n’est pas aussi répandu que l’espagnole : j’ai très peu d’opportunités de pratiquer. Merci encore !

  • I don't do twitter. 

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