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> I've found the only safe strategy with social media/society is just to be very careful/clear/explicit with what you Tweet in the first place so that it can't

> I've found the only safe strategy with social media/society is just to be very careful/clear/explicit with what you Tweet in the first place so that it can't be taken out of context. Twitter, as a medium, is anti-context. The UI, the character limit, the behavior of the most prominent voices on the platform, everything encourages you to post hot takes that require as little context as possible to drive engagement. Being "careful/clear/explicit about what you Tweet in the first place so that it can't be taken out of context" is equivalent to not Tweeting at all.

WoodenChair 5y ago
> everything encourages you to post hot takes that require as little context as possible to drive engagement. > Being "careful/clear/explicit about what you Tweet in the first place so that it can't be taken out of context" is equivalent to not Tweeting at all. No, I don't think it's the same as not Tweeting at all. In my experience it just requires self control (which we all lack sometimes and mess up as I certainly have). I mostly use Twitter to tell my friends and my small number of followers what I'm working on and my opinions on things related to domains I have some education or experience in (software, economics, education, etc.). You can use Twitter for mostly professional and anodyne topics. Saying the constraints of the platform encourage you to post hot takes is like saying the constraints of modern working life encourage you to eat junk food. It's true, but it is by no means forced.
- quanticle 5y ago
  > Saying the constraints of the platform encourage you to post hot takes is like saying the constraints of modern working life encourage you to eat junk food. I don't think that's the correct analogy. I would phrase it more like, "The constraints of being at a bar encourage you to drink alcohol." Of course, you can go to a bar and order a Coca Cola or whatever. But that's not what the bar is set up for. Similarly, you certainly can go on Twitter and post anodyne thoughts about anodyne topics. But that's not what Twitter is set up for.
  - deleted 5y ago
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WoodenChair 5y ago

> everything encourages you to post hot takes that require as little context as possible to drive engagement. > Being "careful/clear/explicit about what you Tweet in the first place so that it can't be taken out of context" is equivalent to not Tweeting at all. No, I don't think it's the same as not Tweeting at all. In my experience it just requires self control (which we all lack sometimes and mess up as I certainly have). I mostly use Twitter to tell my friends and my small number of followers what I'm working on and my opinions on things related to domains I have some education or experience in (software, economics, education, etc.). You can use Twitter for mostly professional and anodyne topics. Saying the constraints of the platform encourage you to post hot takes is like saying the constraints of modern working life encourage you to eat junk food. It's true, but it is by no means forced.

quanticle 5y ago
> Saying the constraints of the platform encourage you to post hot takes is like saying the constraints of modern working life encourage you to eat junk food. I don't think that's the correct analogy. I would phrase it more like, "The constraints of being at a bar encourage you to drink alcohol." Of course, you can go to a bar and order a Coca Cola or whatever. But that's not what the bar is set up for. Similarly, you certainly can go on Twitter and post anodyne thoughts about anodyne topics. But that's not what Twitter is set up for.
- deleted 5y ago
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