27th Apr 12
M. R. SellarsYep. I’m on Twitter. I’ve blogged about it before. Hell, I even toss a bit of flash fiction out there every now and again.
Recently, however, I was on a panel at a SF/Fantasy Con… Actually, I was on a crapload of panels, but that’s not the point. I’m talking about a specific panel – that being a “Social Media” panel. I was really the odd man out on this particular gig. All of the other authors seemed to know one another, whereas I had no friggin’ clue who any of them were, nor they me. So, they all sort of sat toward one end and left me to make sure the opposite end of the table didn’t float away. All good. Just to be sure, though, I checked – I DID use deodorant that day, so that shouldn’t have been a problem. Of course, it didn’t really matter much because 75% of the audience attending the panel happened to be close, personal friends with one of the other authors on the panel, so I probably could have stayed at the bar drinking beer with some folks. At any rate, I didn’t do that. I showed up, I tossed my opinion in there every now and then. Got a few blank stares from the other panelists. Engaged in one of those nifty marketing tactics by handing out some free books. Answered the question, “Why are you handing out free books?” Stared blankly back at them when they couldn’t grasp WHY I would hand out free books even after I told them why. You know, the regular drill…
I know… So what… Big deal. (2 points to anyone who gets that obscure movie reference…)
The thing is, Twitter was one of the topics. Well duh… of course it was, Sellars. Social Media. Twitter. Yadda yadda.
Okay, okay. So THE thing is, one of the other authors on the panel concluded, announced, and/or otherwise stated that one tweet a day is more than enough. In fact, she went on to say that she had made it a point to UNfollow other authors – whose work she enjoyed – because they had the unabashed nerve… the pure audacity… the unbelievable lack of restraint… and tweeted 12 times in one day.
12 times.
One day.
That being 24 hours.
24/12 = 2.
An average of one tweet every two hours.
I don’t know about you but that seems like a pretty laconic tweeter to me.
Even if we are talking about 12 tweets in the span of one hour, that would be what? One tweet every five minutes… Still pretty reserved if you ask me. However, that’s apparently still way too much. It interferes with the busy schedules of others – all that incessant chattering, ya’know… An absolute din of 140 character info bytes causing a “visual cacophony” in the glassballs…
But hey, whatever trips your trigger. Follow, unfollow, I don’t really give a flying rat’s whatsits. I personally see Twitter as yelling into the void and hoping someone hears you. Hasn’t stopped me from yelling into the void, of course, but I don’t really count on anyone hearing, or taking notice if they do. Just one of those things.
Still, for me, the anti-tweeter mentality sort of begs the question, if you’re so damn busy then why are you on Twitter so much? And moreover, why the hell are you counting other people’s tweets?
OCD much?
Later…
Murv
D Alexx Miller
April 27th, 2012 at 13:03
The void does hear you Murv.
M. R. Sellars
April 27th, 2012 at 13:33
Only repeat the good things. NOT the drunk tweets. Well… Maybe the drunk tweets, but only the good ones. 😉
Rowan
April 27th, 2012 at 13:15
You hit the nail on the head, as usual Murv. Counting tweets and actually spending the time in ones head to determine what number of tweets is acceptable is just asinine, especially when you’re complaining about how busy you are.
I’m sorry that your experience on that panel sucked so badly. Were I there I’d have hung at the bar with you. Pretentious asses are not my scene.
M. R. Sellars
April 27th, 2012 at 13:32
It’s all good. The only panel I’ve ever been on that really sucked was with Laurell Hamilton – and it wasn’t HER that caused the suckiness, it was a large contingent of her fans who wouldn’t let anyone else speak. When it comes to whackadoodles on panels, I just kick back and take notes. You never know when you are going to need an extra “issue” to add depth to an insane character. 😉 So, for all intents and purposes it was just another panel, neither good nor bad.
On the flip side – as panelists go – Michael Stackpole is a really nice guy. He was the GoH at that con, and I was on a panel with him.
PJ Nunn
May 3rd, 2012 at 11:40
You always did crack me up. Wonder what that says about me? Probably if I’d been there, they’d have stared at me too. Huh.