Comments on: Ten issues I have with Twitter (and its community)

Twitter might be a fast-growing social network, but it's not able to escape some problems. From downtime to community issues, Twitter has some kinks to work out.

[ikramerica--2008]

"We all know and love Twitter."

One of the most self important statements ever printed at c.net. "Because I love it, you all must too."

Some of us really don't give a darn about Twitter.

[mihal1]

So why did you read to the article, let alone reply to it?

[myles taylor]

I agree with you there. I still don't get the obsession with Twitter. I've tried using it, as I consider myself a trendy person when it comes to technology, but I just can't get a grasp on it. I get spammers and people who don't understand the meaning of TMI. Twitter is full of bad and has very little good and I can't wait until all the hyped up people like Don wake up and realize that.

[ca5ter]

Twitter is for retards.

[cvaldes1831]

It's good for following the daily lives of pornstars.

Perhaps you're right...

[flickrz]

Very true. It is shown to be more useful than it actually is.

[cvaldes1831]

I'd just like to clarify my point, so there's no confusion.

If there is any retard, it's me for following pornstars. The pornstars themselves are friggin' geniuses! They rock!

Ahahahahahaha!!!!

[wratbatblue]

OMG. People who still use the word "retards" are....retarded.

[SIGHUP]

@wratbatblue

Perhaps, but it made the beer I was drinking come out my nose when I read it.

[casademike]

That explains Don Reisinger's presence there then!

[paulej]

@wratbatblue, and just what is wrong with the word "retard"? Does it help if people use the word idiot, dumb***, or any other alternative? To say one ought not use "retard" is similar to arguing that one ought not use the word "gay" to mean "strange" -- a popular usage in my son's school (and apparently all over the US). Words are words and new meanings are introduced all the time. And, I surely hope you're not suggesting that the use of the word "retard" is somehow offensive like some people used to say about the word "crippled". I find no offense in any of those words, though obviously any person would be rightfully offended if they are called any of these words out of spite.

[posco2k8]

@paulej

Yes, words have an impact. We're human beings, we cling on to words and define our entire world with language. So, if I say "gay" to mean "strange", that's ok? Doesn't that imply that being gay is strange?

That may not be the intention of all those high schoolers, but that's the effect it has whether you like it or not.

[Cynical_Writer]

@posco2k8

And if you say "gay" to mean "homosexual", doesn't that imply that all happy people are gay?

As paulej said, words are words and new meanings are introduced all the time.

[rafacst]

More celebrities on twitter?! Are you crazy?! Their servers wouldn't take the heat and the failwhale would show up a lot more.

[Sporlo]

Next time, read more closely: "We need more celebrities to CARE" as in have the celebrities themselves tweet, not assistants. It says nothing about the NUMBER of celebrities.

[afthought]

I twitter but really don't give a dam about twitter - it's like Facebook - it could disappear tomorrow and only be missed by people like the author who somehow gain a measure of delusional self-realization from superfluous, often supercilious, commentary. @afthought

[Tom Krazit]

Don Reisinger, January 9, 2009: "Why you should follow everyone who follows you on Twitter."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10138918-2.html?tag=mncol

[terminalblue]

its never a good sign when the staff writers start pointing out Don's constant hypocrisies.

[Random_Walk]

LOL! Tom, dude... that was just harsh :)

[Inconnux]

LOL now thats funny :)

harsh but funny :)

[VultureTX]

Twits really are self important. a step beyond bloggers it seems.

[flickrz]

Twitter is actually a paradise for narcissists who think they are somehow more important and everyone should know what they are up to.

[Sam Papelbon]

just read your comment. thought you'd like to know.

[spencermustbeking]

This truly scares me. Perhaps I will consider deleting my profile...I already have several....unknown users..."following" me. Creepy!!!!

[ikramerica--2008]

I don't even remember signing up for Twitter. I must have done so at some point. Yet I still get emails telling me somebody is following me. Yippee!

[cvaldes1831]

Those are spammers, dude.

[ikramerica--2008]

Uh, yeah, I get that. Considering I never signed up for twitter...

[SergeM256]

At least they are not following you in a real world.

[PC72]

Twitter: this year's Second Life.

[cvaldes1831]

It's hard to compare Twitter with Second Life.

In some cases it's worse than Second Life because people are tweeting about their actual mundane lives ("I'm at the Embarcardero BART station!") rather than creating some sort of fictitious, marginally entertaining scenario ("I take off my robe and wizard hat...").

In other cases, there's some actual content. These are either thoughtful, carefully composed posts, or brash, realtime snippets from some attention wh*re's life. Sometimes there's even news (or newslike gossip).

[Don Key]

I'm in the hate on Twitter crowd. I already have 7 other ways to annoy my friends with mundane updates of my life, I don't need another.

[cvaldes1831]

In using Twitter, there is absolutely no requirement for you to tweet. You can just listen if you want.

[cidman2001]

I too think the whole thing is stupid. The fact that there are people out there who think it's important or relevant to receive celebrity Tweets is scary. Get a life! How does this add anything to your life? Are these folks somehow uplifted from the doldrums of their mundane life by a Tweet that some celebrity just arrived at the airport or whatever it is they're doing? Social networking gets stranger and less profitable every day.

[compbry15]

I partly agree with most of the comments here.

1. Yes, using twitter to make updates like "making breakfast" and other mundane things is quite a waste of time and self-fulfilling. The thought that others really care about such petty little things is funny. However, I think there is a much more useful and reasonable use of Twitter. That is, using it to pose questions, post comments on a certain topic, and otherwise network with those with similar interests. Being a web professional myself, it is very useful to be able to follow other web professionals. I have a constant stream from some of the brightest minds in my field, as well as organizations such as @smashingmag who post regular links to interesting and useful topics. With a large network of followers I can ask questions regarding a web design or development problem and expect a thoughtful answer from people who know what they are talking about. The value in this is indisputable.

2. I really hate how celebrities are bringing Twitter into the forefront like they are. It used to be a smaller network of people using it for the "right" reasons, as described above, with less spam and idiots. Ashton's "race to 1,000,000" was just pathetic and I think really helped to put a negative light on twitter for people not in-the-know. Now, when you mention Twitter at a party or something, you are overwhelmed with things like "ugh, who cares when you are taking a ****" and such, and have to spend an eternity trying to explain to people who don't "get" technology that there are other useful uses for twitter other than what has become stereotypical.

[Resvon]

There used to be a thing called "newsgroups" where people of similar interests would gather, share useful topics and interesting links. And could do so in more than 140 characters. Wow. Revolutionary.

What did it lack? That's right - the narcissistic notion of "followers".

[Proud_Geek]

Wait, you mean no one cares when I am taking a **** ???

[ofmyony]

Twitter is great. It is a useful communication tool and I don't ever want to go back to just email or instant messaging. Each tool is great in one way or another, I am glad to have options.

Twitter Search is going through it's growing pains now, but I still find it useful. I see a lot of potential for Twitter Search but we need better spam filters.

[MSSlayer]

As others have mentioned newsgroups does the same stuff without the restrictions.

[vamman]

Don you never fail to make me laugh. Do you actually get paid to write this stuff? You have the worst journalism style I have ever seen. First of all I hate Twitter. Looks like most of the people that have read this article also hate twitter. Second of all, I think one of the main reasons Don's news article stink so badly, is because hes stuck on Twitter all day reading about celebrity Teenage girls (which this article seems to imply that Don wants more of!). Don get a life!

[cnetzimbo]

2. Down times are back
"Almost each day, it's down for a minute or two at a time."

Perhaps you're 'twittering' too much of your life away if this is a real problem for you.

[wratbatblue]

Twitter seems to be, in the cases of the "mundane" tweets so often mentioned in these comments, an outlet for people badly in need of entertainment but too busy or broke or socially awkward to get it in other forms. Wow! All it takes is for me to tweet "Going to Walmart", then "Got to Walmart", then "Entering Walmart", and suddenly it's possible that there are thousands of people, or maybe only my husband and boyfriend, who really give a care what I'm doing or thinking. The service also has legitimate uses, of course, since clever people will always find a way to vent their cleverness. Overall, it's an open forum, so one must accept the negative with the positive, or stop complaining and don't participate (or read about those who do).

[labanjohnson]

Quit yer *******. It's a free service, take it or leave it, or develop your own apps via the api to customize it to your tastes

[JJouni]

We all know and love Twitter,
You may love, but not we. We do not love any software, nor hardware. People and animals we love...
Maybe I did like the code I wrote early days,, but never loved. And will not love any s/w or h/w or suc!
JJ

[BtmnHatesRbn]

Don't have any gripes on Twitter, and I've read many good articles posted by people I follow or people who follow me. Strangely, this dart-board list of "problems" never happened to me, and I've been using the service for two years.

I think this is editorialism trying to be a news story when there's no news at all to cover.

[scottlholmes]

Groups of followers would be nice. I have moments when I want to learn about new techs and other moments when I want to be entertained. Having it all jumbled together is annoying.

As for spamming, it is not an issue for me. I never follow anyone automatically. If a follower profile indicates a spammer, I block them. If a follower's profile and recent tweets are interesting, they get a reciprocal follower.

I can easily read all the tweets from anybody without following them but usually I just dont have the desire to follow a celeb on Twitter. That's what Facebook is for.

[MSSlayer]

I think you don't know what an editorial is.

It obviously is one, at least to thinking people.

[fjpoblam]

My favorite gripe is still, celebs who either (1) post inane tweets including linkages to articles in their area of "expertise" every three seconds...filling up my wall, or (2) post at a reasonable rate, say once per three hours or so, but NEVER respond to @ replies even though THEY HAVE FOLLOWED YOU.