On the "quote tweet" debate:
QT is one of several decisions that made Twitter into a place where powerful or 'influential' people post, and most of the other posts are reactions to that material – agreement, dunks, critiques, jokes, etc.
Even if people didn't always use it for that themselves, it was part of creating the overall feeling that there is one big topic under discussion at any given time – and so of course you add your opinion on that topic.
Not having QT also encourages replies!
* Without QT, I can't explain why people should read the reboosted thread
* Without QT, I can't help others decide whether they *want* to actually read it.
* Without QT, I can't give people the chance to read a short summary instead of the full thread
* QT is personal. Reboost is impersonal.
* I'd argue that reboost does MORE to concentrate focus on individuals and specific posts than QT. More focus on strangers' views than your friends' views.
@nafnlaus Longer does not mean more informative.
(I could do 100 posts on the above thought if you'd like, but I think you get the idea.)
@tomw I'm sorry, but the amount of information you can express IS highly limited by length. If I want to, say, post a thread about where #lithium comes from, from start to its ultimate incorporation into li-ion batteries, that's just not going to fit in 500 characters.
Heck, the above paragraph alone was 230 characters!
@tomw If a person doesn't care, why make them have to wade through a long thread?
And I've *never* seen quote tweets used in the way you portray. It's always the person's take. The person *you follow, and thus appreciate*'s take.
Thanks for the interesting back and forth. Both POVs I agree with.
However the majority use of QT that I have seen is still "take comment out of context and say it is bad".
It means if you make a joke then people will assume you're sincere and that's not good with how heated things get.
Just came across this:
"The quote tweet manufactured the concept of a Twitter “main character”; a person so wrong that everyone in the world would quickly know of it."
And of course... Trump.
https://www.pwnallthethings.com/p/twitter-was-special-but-its-time
@Homebrewandhacking @tomw How is reboost any different than quote tweet with regard to creating a "main character"?
The problem is that Twitter's algo amplifies controversy. The more people are interacting with something, the more likely it is to show it to others. *That's* what creates the notion of a #Twitter "main character" and should be avoided.
Twitter's ***algo*** is basically, "Hey, there's a fight going on here, and we think you may want to take part!"
Tom Walker
Nafnlaus 🇮🇸 🇺🇦
PJ "Vote Green" Coffey