On the etiquette of re-tweets – a response
One of the things I have been pondering about for a while now is social media etiquette. So much that I even organized a panel to talk about it. I will preface this post by disclosing that I have evolved with and within the online space. I think about the ecosystem and I feel part of it now (much more than I used to when I first started using social media tools and writing a blog). I don’t claim to be an expert in social media nor in etiquette. But I’ve been reflecting about it for a while now.
In the next few weeks, I want to bring back some elements that I see are missing in the late 2009 social media world…. linking back, being courteous, being reciprocal and responding in a larger form than 140 characters. I see a lot of people giving quick, snappy, witty comments online via Twitter, but not always engaging in one of the best platforms that allows for more than 140 character: a blog.
I am quite fortunate that my readers choose to drop a comment, and I try really hard to engage back and respond on my site. I do the same on Twitter, particularly when it comes to re-tweets. I try my damnedest to say “thank you” most of the time. I also tend to retweet stuff that I find interesting, valuable, worthy. I make a case to retweet stuff from people who have re-tweeted mine as well, simply out of courtesy and good manners but also because I think it’s good karma.
I have been seeing many of my tweeps retweet a recent post written by Catherine Novak, whom I consider bright, smart, social media savvy AND a good friend of mine. I repeat. Catherine and I are good friends. We are on each other’s GTalk, have hung out several times and she’s written guest posts for me for Blogathon AND retweeted the heck out of many of my tweets. Therefore, I feel 100% comfortable responding to her post knowing that she will take this not as a criticism of her post (she offered MANY fantastic suggestions) but as a way to add to the conversation on the science (or art) of retweeting.
I took a tiny bit of an issue with Catherine including “rules” in the wording of her post because I don’t think that an online space like Twitter has any real, hard-core rules. However, as a researcher who uses institutional and neo-institutional theory, I am more than aware that there are two types of rules: formal and informal. My understanding, knowing Catherine, is that she means “these are the more-or-less formalized norms about retweeting that I have learned and I actively practice” (please note the emphasis is mine and I’m paraphrasing her note). I can definitely agree with that.
I take very strong issue (and I am very opinionated) with anybody trying to say “my way is the right way to do things” in the online space, and especially on Twitter. I know that my conversations online may sound as though I actually have rules. But the only rule I try to live by is be kind and nice and follow the manners that you were taught when you were little. Therefore, I reply back when people talk to me. Look at my profile. Over 60% of my tweets are @ replies. I say “thank you” and “please”.
I acknowledge when people have sparked my thoughts or given me feedback. I say thanks when people retweet my stuff because I think that they make a conscious choice as to whether to share my stuff with their networks. I say thanks a lot. That’s not to say that my practices are the best. That’s not the point of this post. I want to spark the other side of the conversation and add to the great post of Catherine’s.
So, on to you – what is the etiquette you follow with regards to re-tweeting? Do you say thank you? Do you make a concerted effort to find something worthy of a retweet by the people who have already retweeted your stuff?
NOTE – I would have included my tweeps’ responses but that’d mean to give TweetTree my password and I am not sure I want to do that.
Related posts:
- Retweeting, contests and social media etiquette
- Twitter showing tweets from non-following
- Witty tweets
- Over 3000 Tweets? What am I talking about?
- Reflections on Twitter etiquette
hey Hummingbird604,
The tweet-retweet phenomenon seems to be a new permutation of a recurring pattern, similar to:
– bigging up by MCs of another while rapping over the beats spun by a DJ,
– the characteristically Canadaian expression hear hear,
– the “+1″ phenomenon of bulletin boards, and
– citations in the scientific literature.
These references that draw attention to another individual’s work. showing respect and creating a foundation for friendship because of the possibility of back-and-forth reciprocation in the future. Part of the reason that people tweet is to have their tweets read; retweeting helps further this goal by broadcasting the original tweet to the retweeter’s audience.
More important than following the exact syntax “RT @tweeter tweet” I would say that first and foremost, a person’s RTs should reflect their real-life personality with their family and friends. What kind of a friend are you?
Just tonight, I decided to give another shot at the idea of creating a site of good ideas for positive change by sampling quotes (including RTs) into something like a cross between Digg and an electronic petition. When I logged into Twitter and saw your tweet, the synchronicity compelled me to write your back a message.
Best wishes.
sorry.. didn’t notice a couple typos in that blurb. Weird: I guess I am the type of person who also deletes/re-edits a lot tweets and messages: somewhat self-critical.
Wonder what there is something to be said about that?
Hi Raul – thanks for the response! At 140 characters, Twitter is at best a staging platform for wider conversation, and I’m really pleased that you thought my post merited a longer response… thus a good conversation.
It seems the Retweet post has flung itself far and wide over the interwebs, otherwise I’d grab it back and change that “rules” word to “art”. In a quickly evolving medium like Twitter, there are no hard-and-fast rules. In fact, you’ll notice that in the second paragraph, I talk about social media etiquette being like playground “rules”, where we learn from each other and bumble along, making mistakes and figuring things out. That’s how you learn an art form. It’s certainly the informal side of rules. It was inspired by GTalk where a Twitter/RL friend said:
“I’m still not sure I understand how RTs work tho
i’ll have to find an article on it”
So I wrote one. Quickly. And used the word “rules” when “art” would have been so much more appropriate.
The moment I start making all the rules, you can throw me out of the club!
BTW, I’d be ever so happy if you posted a short version of this comment on my blog…pretty please
Hi Catherine,
If you wanted, just let me know which part do you want me to post and I’ll do that
In your post you say that you try to RT and reply using @’s. I have definitely noticed that amongst my followers, you are one of the most supportive and helpful. I think it goes a long way in terms of building trust. Some people are more skeptical than others, and less inclined to participate via RT until a degree of trust has been achieved.
I find myself most skeptical regarding welcome DM’s. I feel like most of them are auto-messages, or simply spouting off about their own business. I find I ignore most DM’s from new followers, until they’ve built a relationship with me or engaged me within the DM. I’ve seen a few twitter etiquette lists saying to always try and respond to DM’s, so I wonder if I’m being rude.
I guess it’s just about finding the balance that works best for the individual!
Be generous
Be caring
Be contributing
Be genuine
Be credible
great post, great comments!
i find the phenomenon of RTs quite fascinating myself (had a good conversation with @troyrhoades about that last week; part of a “molecular twitter party” on connecting deleuze’s thoughts to the phenomenon of twitter – http://tinyurl.com/nfzjv9).
one of the things that interests me is – when is a RT a RT and when does it become a paraphrase? and – is that an important question?
for people like me, who love words, being RTed when it really is a paraphrase can feel painful. no, “mirror” is NOT the same word as “reflect”! ah yes, but one has 6 letters, the other 7, and that can make a big difference.
on the other hand, it is always delightful when someone thinks something i say is worthwhile passing on. (something that after 2 1/2 years on twitter still doesn’t get old on me).
RTs also show the phenomenon of co-creation that is one of the most wonderful outgrowths of social media and open source.
very marshal macluhan-ish all this. the media dominates/is/creates/shapes the message. let’s ask @carolsill, our local macluhanite, what she thinks about that.
oh, and robert – i was thinking something very similar. kinda along the lines of my comment aspirations (no, not rules, apirations
http://www.moritherapy.org/article/comment-aspirations/