CathleenRitt: Yes @alizasherman named it ReTweet 5/10/07; @chrisbrogan brought up the concept, but was calling it "ReTwitter" 5:08 PM Nov 29th from web
It has taken me a while to totally wrap my head around the new and oft-disappearing Twitter retweet function. There were early jokes about @justinebateman getting pissed off at a total stranger whose tweets appeared in her Twitterstream suddenly and seemingly without context or explanation.
Now, I totally get what pissed her off.
1. The Intrusion of Strangers Issue
When you see someone you don't know in your Twitterstream, it feels like an invasion. It is more than just annoying. It is unsettling.
With the incredible onslaught of tweets one experiences - especially when following more than a dozen people (I follow about 1800) - it takes time, patience and effort to get used to the rhythm of information flow. Over time you grow familiar with the people you are following. You get to know people.
I'm so familiar with the folks in my own Twitterstream that when I try to go pare down the number of people I'm following, I can't unfollow 99% of them because I feel I know them or at least know something about them.
Glancing at my Twitterstream right now, for example, I know that @1938media is being snarky and sharing his eclectic tastes and opinions. I know @KmartDesign just started following me and looked like an interested bunch of creative types. I recognize my Second Life friend @doubledown_inSL who is an inworld oldschool DJ. I see @leahjones who I much admire.
There's @mssinglemama who I started following more recently because of the mommyhood connection. @jdhemsath is an Alaska tweep. @DadsUpLate and I have exchanged tweets before. You don't just unfollow someone after you've actually interacted (unless it was a bad interaction, of course).
I do not want strangers in my Twitterstream. If I want to seek out new people to follow, I have my own methods of doing so (scanning Following lists of those I follow; clicking on @ references by people in my stream; using something like Mr. Tweet to get recommendations).
Do not force strangers into my stream, Twitter!
2. The Citation Issue
I'm all one for getting credit if I tweet something that's incredibly retweeted. But I also know somewhere down the line of retweets, my name may get bumped off or someone will interpret a retweet incorrectly and give kudos to the retweeter as the originator of the tweet. Shit happens. No biggie.
When I retweet someone else giving proper credit but someone retweets without the reference to the tweet originator and suddenly I'm getting all the credit, I always make a point to say "Thanks for the retweet, however, @janedoe actually said that." It's just the polite thing to do.
But ultimately, when I put a tweet out there, I am a little less invested in the world knowing those bon mots were from me and much more invested in putting good, interesting, compelling and useful content out there. If down the line I lose my byline, I'm not offended like I would be if I wrote a blog post or article and my byline was eventually removed or replaced with someone else's name.
We can't be so in love with our tweets that we keep trying to get credit for them. This is conversation.
This is a flow. If you keep doing good things on Twitter, you'll get credit and kudos soon enough. But expecting to "own" your tweets at every juncture of the Twitterstream is unrealistic at best, selfish at worst. If you are so adamant about getting credit, always include a short link to the source that shows you are the clever one. If that's important to you.
What bothers me about the Twitter retweet function is that while I can see the originator of the tweet (yippee, hurrah for them), why is it less valuable that someone was clever, savvy, attentive or smart enough to retweet something good? I would rather see the person I'm following credited for the retweet (with the proper reference to the originator) than be forced to see someone I don't know in my Twitterstream.
Which takes us back to #1: The Intrusion of Strangers.
Trying to systemize something that is organic on a communications tool that is free-flowing can be attempting to solve certain problems while creating new ones.
My advice to Twitter: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you THINK it is broke, you're probably wrong. Your job is to keep the Fail Whale from showing up but not at the reduction of the organic Twitterstream that we are all here for. If you keep messing with a good thing, don't be surprised if we start looking for a new place to go.
I haven't read anybody else's thoughts on the retweet function but I'm sure there are many. Feel free to point me to them here or share your thoughts on this.
Does the retweet function suck or does it have some redeeming features?
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