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Application to Twitter
This application to Twitter is being brought to you via the creative minds of Group Seven, consisting of Nick, Danielle, Krista, Carl, and Charlotte.
In order to better understand the following information, it is imperative to have an understanding of Twitter and the language that surrounds its usage. Some of the words that you will need to recognize are tweet, tweeter, hashtag, mention, and reply.
A tweet is an individual users' update on Twitter. Each tweet consists of 140 characters or less.
A tweeter is a user of Twitter. Tweeters can be the authors or readers of tweets.
Hashtags (#) are symbols that precede a word or compound of words that, in Twitter, create a link to a broader stream of tweets concerning that subject.
Mentions or replies make use of the asperand (@) and precede a Twitter username in a tweet. It is used to either directly address or reply to that user and can also be used when making a reference to him or her.
As Twittering is designed for short, concise writing, short sentences with action verbs are the very tools the doctor ordered.
Clarity and Context
Clarity is an understanding that the reader has of a given text. If a tweet is written in an unfamiliar manner, or perhaps one that is not straightforward, it can be said to be unclear. Obscurity in a text can stem from disorganized thought processes that discuss new topics without connecting them to others with which the reader is already familiar. This concept will be considered in greater depth in "Managing the Flow of Information".
In Twitter, where the text consists of various short posts, the clarity tends to come from the reader's societal knowledge. Because each tweet consists of only 140 characters, much knowledge must be assumed. Such knowledge could stem from knowing the posting tweeter, using hashtags, or having an understanding of current events.
For example:
kab7 RT @danteshepherd: Open Left is saying the No vote (supporting gay marriage) is ahead in Maine, 57% to 43%. God, I hope that's right.
AddressingYou RT @fesc42 Dear State of #Maine, "What is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right." A. Einstein
VerusDesiderium I feel like Strom Thurman and Jerry Fallwell secretly had 250k kids and they all moved to Maine.
In all of these examples, clarity and understanding can be achieved through knowing the posting tweeter (kab7, dantessheperd, AddressingYou, fesc42, or VerusDesiderium), following the hashtag discussion (#Maine), or having information about the recent vote in Maine. Following ideas presented by a single tweeter or group increases the cohesion of his, her, or their thoughts.
People who use Twitter often already know the context that is being discussed through devices such as hashtags, mentions, etc. In the world of Twitter, a lot of understanding comes from the social context, but there are a few ways to try to enhance the clarity of a tweet and such methods are discussed further below. However, if a tweet is unclear, it is possible to ask for clarification due to the dialogue-like nature of the site. Also, if a single tweet is unclear, that tweet may be useless. However, this does not make the posting tweeter, the topic, or the group meaningless. One unclear tweet can be considered insignificant in the overall scheme of Twitter. That one tweet may have little connection to following tweets from that user or group. Not all tweets fully rely and mirror the broader topic, but following a conversation or tweeter can increase the clarity of a topic.
Managing the Flow of Information
In all worlds of writing, including Twitter, the audience will understand the material better if the information is well managed. This may mean that tweeters have to move beyond conventional rules of writing. When writing tweets, be sure that the audience can connect the discussion of a topic to an issue. Doing this will keep fellow tweeters from becoming too confused.
Place ideas that the reader is presumably already familiar with and will readily recognize at the beginning of a tweet.
Making use of a hashtag makes this principle simple. By connecting tweets to a broader discussion of a subject, readers will be more capable of making connections between individual opinions and the issue. For example, the tweet
#EMU is awesome
is easy to comprehend because the reader knows immediately what the tweeter is addressing. If a reader does not understand the topic, they can read previous tweets on the #EMU topic.
The same concept is true when making use of the mention/reply function of Twitter. By addressing another tweeter early in a tweet, readers will be able to connect whatever you state back to that user. This will increase the cohesion and clarity of the entire conversation.
Mention the newest, most surprising or most significant information at the end of a tweet. This is the information that is being stressed and perhaps the information that will be expanded on in following tweets or conversations. After using the hashtag or mention/reply function, lay out personal opinions or statements. This brings about an individual experience in the greater world of Twitter.
Beginning Well
The main thesis in William’s book states that one of the easiest way to create cohesion is to place the topic of a sentence at the beginning. In Twitter, this idea is already built into the system. The author of the tweet is always before the actual tweet itself. The author is often the subject of the tweet, considering Twitter is often used for individuals to tweet about their daily lives and ideas. If the tweeter has a key word in the body of the tweet which acts as an identifier, then the reader automatically knows who has posted the tweet; it might be considered his trademark. The tweeter can even incorporate his or her name into the tweet, knowing that his or her name is always at the beginning of the tweet:
dorkman3092 is glad the weekend is here.
Even when a tweeter uses his or her tweets for a purpose other than personal daily documentary, one knows before reading who the author is. Therefore, the reader can know where the background of the tweet and, by connecting to the author’s database of older tweets, a general idea of what the tweet will contain.
For example:
kab7 Finally got in all the classes I needed to. :) Now to actually finish my COE application!
When encountering this individual tweet, the reader could be happy with kab7 for registering for classes. However, by reading further into her Twitter account, more information can be gleaned that amplifies the meaning of this tweet.
kab7 Why do I ALWAYS have problems with registration? ><
This tweet, written four hours prior to the earlier tweet, helps the reader to have greater sympathy and understanding of kab7's situation. Without knowing that she had had problems with registration, the completion of the task would not have been as significant.
The use of the hashtag, although created to have a separate database of same-subject tweets, also illustrates the topic of the tweet. When reading the hashtag of a tweet, the reader knows what topic the tweet is directly addressing. If more understanding of the hashtagged topic is needed, a user can simply follow that group's tweets. Tweeters can implement Williams's idea by moving a hashtag to the beginning of the tweet, making the topic in front, just as Williams would use in sentences. Mentions or replies can be used in the same way.
Two Principles
As stated earlier, inserting the subject of a sentence at its beginning will help circumvent confusion. This principle is especially helpful when using Twitter due to length constraints imposed on its users. Twitter is a source of information that is often scanned and few users will take the time to read every word on every post. This accentuates the importance of placing the topic of a tweet at the beginning, in hopes of engaging the reader instantly. This is also an effective tool for searching topics. When a search is entered for a given topic, stating the topic early and spelling it correctly allows it to become more easily detected.
Among related sentences it is important to keep topics consistent. If attempting to continue a topic beyond one tweet, it is important to state the aforementioned subject early in subsequent tweets in order to maintain clarity and not lose the attention of the reader. This allows for a quick identification of continuity.
Tweeters will sometimes use numbers enveloped in parenthesis or brackets in order to communicate they are continuing on their current topic.
For example:
twittorician (1/2) Is. grabbed my copy of Pollan's Omni's Dilemma, turned to the middle, and "read" aloud: "Marshmallows grow on trees." #mallownarrative twittorician (2/2) Ours do, but not yours. And then we take them to town for the silly marshmallow contester. The end." #mallownarrative
This is another tool to inform the reader that the tweets are related to one another. If pursuing this, it is important to remember that the tweets will seem more coherent and easier to follow if the topic or subject is stated earlier rather than later.
Some Special Problems with Topics
Audience as a Topic
As with any type of writing, it is important to consider the audience that is reading. Twitter is no exception to this. Aside from having the obvious audience (followers), tweeters can reach out to other audiences through the use of hashtags (#) or asperands (@). Depending on how broad or narrow of an audience is being targeted, it is important to consider the type of language being used to make points clear. Using the word "you" is an easy way to make points more personal. Using the word "we" makes the reader feel that he is included-not alone.
@motlehh you should meet us at the library at seven
is more effective and reader-friendly than:
@motlehh our group will be meeting in the library at seven.
Designing Topics
Since Twitter is a rather personal way of communicating, it is common for tweets to assign responsibility to an audience. This is done by using personal pronouns, such as he, she, we, you, or I. By doing this, tweeters are more direct with their audience. Other types of writing may encourage the less personal words, but, for the most part, this is not the case on Twitter. It is better to use short, concise sentences when communicating information on twitter. This is not so important if the main aim is to entertain.
#emu today we will be playing the Toledo Rockets. You should come to the game and cheer us on!
is more effective and assigns more responsibility to the reader than:
#emu today the Eastern Michigan Eagles will be taking on the Toledo Rockets. Student attendance to the game is encouraged.
