March 22, 2009

"Meta question. Is a tweet the equal of a blog post as cause for offense to be taken?"

"For a tweet, it's pretty normal to mention an association that pops into your head, while for a post one would want to conduct some research." Asks Ben Masel.

So Twitter is a special place for bullshit and lies?

29 comments:

New York said...

You are looking at it all wrong. A tweet is an authentic expression of your psyche.

So: if you are Ezra Klein (ie. a "good person"), a tweet containing a lie or BS must be regarded as an expression of some inner true thing (ie. there must be some reason that Ezra thinks Ann's blog comments are anti-semitic even though it's not quite correct).

But if you are a "bad person" (eg. Michelle Malkin) the same tweet would show that you are inherently untruthful etc.

And if you don't like this, Spencer Ackerman will tell you to STFU.

Anonymous said...

In tweeto veritas?

Jason (the commenter) said...

So Twitter is a special place for bullshit and lies?

Listed with decreasing authority:

Peer-Reviewed Journal
Books
Newspaper/Magazine
Tabloid
Blog
Twitter
Wikipedia
Text Message
Politician

TitusItIsABeautifulDay!!!! said...

I find twitter and facebook too much.

I don't want to know what someone does every second.

"I am now pinching a loaf". Who wants to hear those details of someone elses life?

It is way too intrusive and personal for me.

My trick just left by the way. The rare clumbers are pissed at me for having someone at the house.

TitusItIsABeautifulDay!!!! said...

I ate Momos for an appe last night. They were delish.

TitusItIsABeautifulDay!!!! said...

My trick had to tell me about every fabulous restaurant he ate at the past week.

I was like shut up.

We didn't cum either. Kind of disappointing.

Mr. Forward said...

It's a treat

to beat your Tweet

In the Mrs. Hippie bud.

American Liberal Elite said...

Twitter = Turretter

Curtiss said...

Lying is the sin that accompanies all others. Even on Twitter.

J. Cricket said...

Clearly, Twitter is a place for you, Althouse, to say anything that pops into your head, to tweet things much less serious than a blog post, and yes, even to bullshit. You said a much a while back.

But lord knows, it's also a place for you, Althouse, to take great offense if you don't like someone else's twitter. Then it's an outrage and demands an apology!!

Such is life when the world revolves around you!

Unknown said...

I think it's hot when Ann gets mad.

SteveR said...

I don't want people reading my mind, which would probably offend a lot of people. There has to be a point where everything we think or do isn't worth documenting. Who's that interesting?

dbp said...

@annalthouse Twitter is spontaneous. Idiocy can escape. Forgiveness should be offered once a correction is made and be as timely as it was.

140, on the nose.

Zachary Sire said...

Seriously, Althouse, get over it. You're acting like a child.

Jason (the commenter) said...

ZPS : Seriously, Althouse, get over it. You're acting like a child.

There's nothing childish about a vendetta.

And don't overlook the bile of Ezra Klein. Not bothering to respond to a post that involves his person directly, as a man of honor would. Instead sneaking off to spread slanders, about people he's never met or talked to. And trying to worm out of an apology to a lady with pathetic excuses.

Zachary Sire said...

And trying to worm out of an apology to a lady with pathetic excuses.

I thought his apology was fine. And he didn't insult Althouse, he was talking about the commenters. He acknowledged that and moved on, but Althouse hasn't. Why? Two more posts on the matter this morning. Why? Is it the attention? Is it just an easy post to put up to fuel the liberal hatred from the commenters? It's all so juvenile.

With all due respect, it's childish, and take that from someone who knows a thing or two about acting childish.

I'd like to think you are better than this, Althouse. Hey, playing the perpetual victim is quite liberal of you, isn't it?

amba said...

Maybe we need the concept of "bullshit bytes."

Michael Haz said...

It is an ongoing source of wonder that some men are threatened by the presence of a strong willed woman.

If you don't like Althouse, then just stop frequenting her blog.

davis,br said...

So Twitter is a special place for bullshit and lies?

Ann? - That was one of the funniest lines I've read in just so long. Kudos. YGG.

BJM said...

So Twitter is a special place for bullshit and lies?

I would offer that Twitter may also be equated with ancient graffito. The "sports fan" riot in the amphitheater of Pompeii in 59 CE was thought to have been stoked by graffito.

A twitter train wreck is bound to happen sooner or later as the immature and intemperate climb aboard.

Titus, I would add stalkers.

Scott said...

As Ezra Klein knows, Twitter is a cool tool for starting a whisper campaign against someone you don't like.

But libel is libel is libel. And if you tell a lie in a Tweet, it's just as libelous as if it was published above the fold on the front of the New York Times.

(I turned off Twitter after about two days of using it. I came to the conclusion that I REALLY DON'T CARE what my favorite bloggers are eating for lunch!)

hdhouse said...

if you want to know about lying two-faced weasels and general down and out shits, ask Trooper York, the expert on brains and particularly the lackthereof.

He is also a selfstyled expert on Twitter....ya'betcha!

Buford Gooch said...

Always fun to read hdhouse. Thinks he (she?) is making sense, but always comes off looking dumber than if he (she?) had said nothing. And, Trooper York should back off of hdhouse. It isn't fair to have a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

hdhouse said...

i agree buford....so let the omnipresent trooper ignatz slink away into the isolation that he so richly deserves.

nice of you to betray him.

ya'betcha!

Ben Masel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ben Masel said...

"So Twitter is a special place for bullshit and lies?"

No, for letting 1st impressions hasg out.

(Now that I'm a "tag" here, i'll have to fill it up.)

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

It's on internet, forever. That's all that matters.

kentuckyliz said...

Actually, my first tweet was:

taking a dump now. Seriously, are people interested in this level of detail? Am I? Who has the time for it?

Nom de Blog said...

Actually, I'm using Twitter to organize political activism. There are a whole bunch of people on Twitter coordinating a grassroots fight against CPSIA, a law that was passed last August that has already caused over $4 billion in losses in our down economy. It's a totally bipartisan issue and people of every political stripe, who would never give each other the time of day over any other issue, are getting together on Twitter.

If you'd like to see what Twitter can do that isn't about boring everyday stuff, go here: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=cpsia