Be Polite, Use the R: Tweeting behind people's backs is rude

Be Polite, Use the “r”

Tweeting behind people’s backs is rude

Twitter's new policy of stifling chatter needs new @reply protocol

by David A. Rozansky, Publisher, Flying Pen Press

Readers, Writers & Royalties columnist

May 13, 2009

Copyright 2009 David A. Rozansky aka @DavidRozansky

Note: Twitter has a new policy. Check out my article titled Who Killed the Mocking Bird for more information. One of the Twitter users asked that I post a short description of a new protocol I am asking people to use, and why. So here goes. This one is for Twitter users only.

The Twitter issue known as #fixreplies (named after the hashtag created this morning for tweets asking people to demand that Twitter reinstate the policy of placing all @replies in the public twitterstream) has created a difficult situation for many of us tweedilydeets. We can no longer overhear parts of conversations, which is what drives the expanding networks of Twitter in the first place.

I would like to state that I find it rude when people reply in public space and the conversation is not public. It is like whispering behind my back. I you want to discuss something in public space, then go entirely public.

My biggest concerns are when people are asking questions for which the answer could benefit us all, and for calls for assistance, such as disaster relief or job hunting. Without the public eavesdropping of such conversations, the networking aspect of Twitter is crippled, terribly.

But not to fret. There is a workaround that allows conversations to remain public.

When posting a tweet in public space, the first character of the tweet is very important. With the changes in Twitter policy, any tweet you send beginning with the @ symbol flags that tweet for hidden posting. That means that unless your followers are following the account you just @replied, they will not see the tweet. It becomes an invisible conversation, whereas your half of the conversation used to be visible to your followers.

And of course, if you use a “d” (or capital “D”) followed by a space, this makes it a private message. But then, that is desired, so no problem with “d.”

If the first character of the tweet is any other letter or symbol (including hashtags), it will cause the tweet to go live on the twitterstream, for all to see. You can even use “d” if it is followed by something other than a space.

So here is the dilemma. It is impolite to tweet discreetly in public space. But using the standard reply button or using the @reply coding causes the tweet to be discreet, regardless of intention.

And here is the solution I have been pushing: Use the letter “r” as the first character of a reply. It stands for “reply,” simply enough.

Then, simply include the @account name in the tweet somewhere (I usually use it right after the “r,” separated by a space). This tells the world that this is meant as a reply, yet it remains public, where public discourse should remain. If I want to send a private reply, I use d, as I have always done.

A retweet, that is, quoting a tweet you have found, should continue to use “RT.” Keep in mind, “RT” is for quoting someone else’s tweet, “r” is for replying to a tweet with your own original tweet.

Here is the obligatory example:

Can someone answer a question about birds? #birds

r @DavidRozansky I can answer, what ‘s your question?

r @BirdLover Why do birds go tweet on public streets?

r @DavidRozansky Birds go tweet on the street so they can be heard on the other side.

RT @BirdLover “Birds go tweet on the street so they can be heard on the other side.” #birds

Other letters that are not the @ or the “d” will suffice. Some people today have been tending to use “OK” or “Hi”. Some have used “x.” I like “r” because it stands for “reply” and as a simple symbol can be used for all @replies.

To summarize, replying without a leading “r” should be considered rude. And any Twitter user wanting to preserve Twitter as a civilized platform for social networking should pass that advice on, and request of all repliers that the standard @reply now be repeated in a public way.

So, retweet after me: Be Polite. Use the “r”

Thank you for your kind attention to this matter. I hope this helps your Twitter experience continue to be useful and entertaining.

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This is just one article in David A. Rozansky’s column, Readers, Writers & Royalties, a blog column about the book trade, from writing and publishing, to selling and reading.

David Rozansky’s Twitter account name is @DavidRozansky.

Readers may find archived articles or subscribe to Readers, Writers & Royalties at www.ReadWriteRoyalty.Gather.com. Subscribe to all of Mr. Rozansky’s articles at www.FlyingPenPress.Gather.com.

David A. Rozansky is the publisher of Flying Pen Press. He has been in publishing since 1987, and has more than one million published words under his byline. Flying Pen Press is at http://www.FlyingPenPress.com. He is available for speaking on the subject of writing magazine articles, public relations, marketing and book-length material.