5 ms·

> twitter is just sillines Would you say the same about your phone number? If not, why? If I run my business on Twitter (or YouTube, or Facebook) is it that di

> twitter is just sillines Would you say the same about your phone number? If not, why? If I run my business on Twitter (or YouTube, or Facebook) is it that different from a bank?

ams6110 8y ago
If you are running a business on Twitter, I don't see a big issue with having a phone number connected to that Twitter account. It doesn't strike me as unreasonable.
- TheGrumpyBrit 8y ago
  Depends on the business, and whether there's a limit to the number of accounts a number can be linked to. A business can quite legitimately have multiple accounts for different departments, brands, or any other purpose. If you can only have one account per phone number, that can quickly become a problem.
  - nyuszika7h 8y ago
    Their help page claims a phone number can be linked to 10 accounts at once, but in practice I've found that limit to be 4 or even less. Also, they often prevent a number from being added to more accounts for a few days or weeks even if you remove it from all accounts.
munk-a 8y ago
No? I'm not clear on what the real point of this question is - twitter is a terrible platform to use for actual communication. Their sorting by "relevance" can cause recent messages to get lost in the shuffle and randomly mess with your visibility. It may be you're considering twitter as a business in which to coordinate product sales, but I'll assume it's for customer relations management, many companies that have a twitter account for CS stuff also offer email, messanger (of some sort) and phone if you have an issue you need to resolve due to the fact that platform just isn't well suited for business - the network effect of it is surprisingly low (a _lot_ of people aren't on or don't regularly use twitter), it is semi-public which may violate your business concerns and... you're handing the keys to your reputation to the third party that has acted poorly in the past. If you check out youtubers talking about youtubers (I have no specific example on hand) they tend to complain endlessly about how the trending algorithms can drive thousands of potential viewers toward or away from their channel for no particular reason - there the network effect is strong enough that they don't have an option though, if your business is streaming a show then YouTube offers a much richer starting viewer base. I guess my assumption is, if your business doesn't force you to use a particular social media platform exclusively then... use some other communication method per preference? I'm really just confused by the question though - these things are not the same and twitter is simply not as important as the place your money lives (and I think pretty much everyone would agree? Maybe I'm getting too old)
- anigbrowl 8y ago
  You may dislike Twitter (I do) but it is a large thing that exists and appears to provide sufficient value to people that dismissing it as 'silliness' just sounds empty-headed and naive.
  - gotocake 8y ago
    Instead of attacking the person who is making a fairly lengthy and supportable argument, and basing your stance on the notion of some nebulous value “people” find, maybe you could respond in kind? I have to say that I find myself in the camp of Twitter being silly, except when it’s being destructive. Instead of being dismissed as “empty-headed” I’d prefer some value proposition justifying the previous comparison to a phone number. Twitter seems to be a rage factory and amplifier, a shitty blogging format, and very occasionally a way to twist the arm of recalcitrant customer service.
    - kingaillas 8y ago
      Twitter is a Rorschach test - all those things you criticize Twitter for seeming to be (rage factory, shitty blog, etc.)? That would be entirely the fault of the users in those specific circumstances. The value proposition for me is receiving targeted news/information disseminated in a convenient format. As a concrete example, I'm crewing/pacing at a 100 mile trail run in two weeks, and I'm subscribed to that event's twitter feed. It's the Umstead 100 in case you are curious (@Umstead100). During the event, it will tweet out news and updates of interest to participants, volunteers, and others. Yes, they could probably text everyone, or continuously update the website, or send emails - but Twitter is perfect for this situation and others like it: content/updates produces and consumed on mobile devices, sending frequent short updates with relevant info, etc. Twitter has its abuses, but so does everything. Next time you're ready to shit all over Twitter, just remember that what you are likely ACTUALLY raging about is their userbase, i.e. the public.
      - beaconstudios 8y ago
        at the same time, the medium is the message. Twitter encourages this bad behaviour, not because of intent but because it's highly geared towards hot takes and doesn't provide the character space for the level of nuance required to take a serious look at real life. So people condense what could be a complex question into a strong statement, even better if it's provocative because as provocation draws eyeballs.
libraryatnight 8y ago
No, why would he? They're completely different. Twitter is nothing at all like a phone number.
- erikpukinskis 8y ago
  It's similar in that you may have set up your business in such a way that you rely on your phone number for clients to contact you, and you may have set up your business in such a way that you rely on your Twitter for clients to contact you.
coldtea 8y ago
>Would you say the same about your phone number? No. >If not, why? Because a phone is a universal method of communication, for businesses, spouses, families, friends, and everything in between. Twitter is yet another social media gossip discussion site, just one with a gimmick (limited characters). >If I run my business on Twitter (or YouTube, or Facebook) is it that different from a bank? The only businesses run on Twitter are ads, influencers, and PR -- and those deserve to die anyway.
- nothal 8y ago
  FWIW, there are far more businesses on social media than that. There’s an entire culture of chefs, makeup artists, and the like that advertises solely on twitter/instagram/etc. Social media is actually a really effective tool to reach your target audience in these cases.
  - zrobotics 8y ago
    >> chefs, makeup artists, and the like Isn't that covered under "influencers"? What tangible benefit does Twitter provide to a working makeup artist (ie someone doing makeup for films/tv/photography/etc)? Sure, there are makeup artists that run businesses on Twitter, but their business is selling branded makeup and promoting sponsored products. That type of business is 100% reliant in social media, but aside from influencers are there any working professionals that would be unemployed without Twitter or Instagram?

> twitter is just sillines Would you say the same about your phone number? If not, why? If I run my business on Twitter (or YouTube, or Facebook) is it that different from a bank?

ams6110 8y ago

If you are running a business on Twitter, I don't see a big issue with having a phone number connected to that Twitter account. It doesn't strike me as unreasonable.

TheGrumpyBrit 8y ago
Depends on the business, and whether there's a limit to the number of accounts a number can be linked to. A business can quite legitimately have multiple accounts for different departments, brands, or any other purpose. If you can only have one account per phone number, that can quickly become a problem.
- nyuszika7h 8y ago
  Their help page claims a phone number can be linked to 10 accounts at once, but in practice I've found that limit to be 4 or even less. Also, they often prevent a number from being added to more accounts for a few days or weeks even if you remove it from all accounts.

munk-a 8y ago

No? I'm not clear on what the real point of this question is - twitter is a terrible platform to use for actual communication. Their sorting by "relevance" can cause recent messages to get lost in the shuffle and randomly mess with your visibility. It may be you're considering twitter as a business in which to coordinate product sales, but I'll assume it's for customer relations management, many companies that have a twitter account for CS stuff also offer email, messanger (of some sort) and phone if you have an issue you need to resolve due to the fact that platform just isn't well suited for business - the network effect of it is surprisingly low (a _lot_ of people aren't on or don't regularly use twitter), it is semi-public which may violate your business concerns and... you're handing the keys to your reputation to the third party that has acted poorly in the past. If you check out youtubers talking about youtubers (I have no specific example on hand) they tend to complain endlessly about how the trending algorithms can drive thousands of potential viewers toward or away from their channel for no particular reason - there the network effect is strong enough that they don't have an option though, if your business is streaming a show then YouTube offers a much richer starting viewer base. I guess my assumption is, if your business doesn't force you to use a particular social media platform exclusively then... use some other communication method per preference? I'm really just confused by the question though - these things are not the same and twitter is simply not as important as the place your money lives (and I think pretty much everyone would agree? Maybe I'm getting too old)

anigbrowl 8y ago
You may dislike Twitter (I do) but it is a large thing that exists and appears to provide sufficient value to people that dismissing it as 'silliness' just sounds empty-headed and naive.
- gotocake 8y ago
  Instead of attacking the person who is making a fairly lengthy and supportable argument, and basing your stance on the notion of some nebulous value “people” find, maybe you could respond in kind? I have to say that I find myself in the camp of Twitter being silly, except when it’s being destructive. Instead of being dismissed as “empty-headed” I’d prefer some value proposition justifying the previous comparison to a phone number. Twitter seems to be a rage factory and amplifier, a shitty blogging format, and very occasionally a way to twist the arm of recalcitrant customer service.
  - kingaillas 8y ago
    Twitter is a Rorschach test - all those things you criticize Twitter for seeming to be (rage factory, shitty blog, etc.)? That would be entirely the fault of the users in those specific circumstances. The value proposition for me is receiving targeted news/information disseminated in a convenient format. As a concrete example, I'm crewing/pacing at a 100 mile trail run in two weeks, and I'm subscribed to that event's twitter feed. It's the Umstead 100 in case you are curious (@Umstead100). During the event, it will tweet out news and updates of interest to participants, volunteers, and others. Yes, they could probably text everyone, or continuously update the website, or send emails - but Twitter is perfect for this situation and others like it: content/updates produces and consumed on mobile devices, sending frequent short updates with relevant info, etc. Twitter has its abuses, but so does everything. Next time you're ready to shit all over Twitter, just remember that what you are likely ACTUALLY raging about is their userbase, i.e. the public.
    - beaconstudios 8y ago
      at the same time, the medium is the message. Twitter encourages this bad behaviour, not because of intent but because it's highly geared towards hot takes and doesn't provide the character space for the level of nuance required to take a serious look at real life. So people condense what could be a complex question into a strong statement, even better if it's provocative because as provocation draws eyeballs.

libraryatnight 8y ago

No, why would he? They're completely different. Twitter is nothing at all like a phone number.

erikpukinskis 8y ago
It's similar in that you may have set up your business in such a way that you rely on your phone number for clients to contact you, and you may have set up your business in such a way that you rely on your Twitter for clients to contact you.

coldtea 8y ago

>Would you say the same about your phone number? No. >If not, why? Because a phone is a universal method of communication, for businesses, spouses, families, friends, and everything in between. Twitter is yet another social media gossip discussion site, just one with a gimmick (limited characters). >If I run my business on Twitter (or YouTube, or Facebook) is it that different from a bank? The only businesses run on Twitter are ads, influencers, and PR -- and those deserve to die anyway.

nothal 8y ago
FWIW, there are far more businesses on social media than that. There’s an entire culture of chefs, makeup artists, and the like that advertises solely on twitter/instagram/etc. Social media is actually a really effective tool to reach your target audience in these cases.
- zrobotics 8y ago
  >> chefs, makeup artists, and the like Isn't that covered under "influencers"? What tangible benefit does Twitter provide to a working makeup artist (ie someone doing makeup for films/tv/photography/etc)? Sure, there are makeup artists that run businesses on Twitter, but their business is selling branded makeup and promoting sponsored products. That type of business is 100% reliant in social media, but aside from influencers are there any working professionals that would be unemployed without Twitter or Instagram?