Not on Twitter please: Difference between revisions

From Peter Suber
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== Dialogue without oversimplification ==
== Dialogue without oversimplification ==


* I like dialogue. I like responding to questions and objections when I can, including questions or objections about my own work. But I don't like oversimplification. In fact, I like dialogue in part because it helps us overcome oversimplification.
* I like dialogue. I like responding to questions and objections when I can, including questions or objections about my own work. But I don't like oversimplification. In fact, I like dialogue in part because it helps overcome oversimplification.
* Hence, I don't like dialogue on Twitter. Or I don't like it once it reaches the point when serious contributions require more than 140 or 280 characters. For most interesting topics, that's very early in the process.
* Hence, I don't like dialogue on Twitter. Or I don't like it once it reaches the point when serious contributions require more space than Twitter provides. For most topics worth discussing, that's very early in the process.
* If I'm in a Twitter thread and someone asks me a question that requires a response too long for Twitter, I'd rather shift to a more accommodating platform than oversimplify or fall silent.
* If I'm in a Twitter thread and someone asks me a question that requires a response too long for Twitter, I'd rather shift to a more accommodating platform than oversimplify or fall silent. That's what this page is about.


== Shifting to a more accommodating platform ==
== Shifting to a more accommodating platform ==


* If I point to this page from one of my tweets, here's what I'm proposing:
* If I point to this page from one of my tweets, then I'm proposing one of the following paths, whichever you like best.
*# Either [mailto:peter.suber@gmail.com send me an email] and I'll reply by email...
*# [mailto:peter.suber@gmail.com Send me an email] and I'll reply by email.
*# Or post your question to Google+, let me know about it (my G+ handle is [https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber +petersuber]), and I'll reply to your post. Or if you'd like, I could start the thread on my own G+ account and you could reply there. (Here's an [https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber/posts/Mx3eCDyebjY example].) If the dialogue started on Twitter, naturally the G+ posts could link back to it, and the Twitter posts could link to the G+ discussion.
*# If you have a blog that supports comments, post your question to your blog, [mailto:peter.suber@gmail.com let me know about it], and I'll post a comment. Or if you'd like, I could start the thread on [https://suber.pubpub.org/ my blog] and you could post your comments there.  
* The advantage of G+ over email is that others could watch our dialogue, join in, share the URL, and so on. Our back-and-forth could be as public and participatory as on Twitter, but we wouldn't have to stultify ourselves.
** Here's an [https://web.archive.org/web/20170810134605/https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber/posts/Mx3eCDyebjY example] from when I blogged at Google+. (I don't have any examples from [https://suber.pubpub.org/ my PubPub blog], which launched in May 2020.)
* I know that this kind of public, unrestricted dialogue could also take place on other platforms. But I've deliberately deleted my FB account, and [http://www.businessinsider.com/10-reasons-to-delete-your-facebook-account-2010-5 recommend] that you do the same. Let's not go there. For reasons that are similar but not as strong, I don't use LinkedIn. I have experimental accounts on Diaspora and Mastodon, and I'm ready to try new platforms as they emerge. But for now I haven't seen one better for this purpose than G+.
** If you want the dialogue to be public, the blog option is better than the email option. It lets others watch our dialogue, join in, share the URL, and so on. Our back-and-forth could be as public and participatory as on Twitter, but we wouldn't have to stultify ourselves. Moreover, the blog discussion could link to the originating Twitter thread, and the Twitter thread could link to the blog discussion.
<!-- I hope that one of the newer alternatives takes off and becomes the clear winner, or forces the others to improve through competition. But they haven't done so yet. -->
* I'm sorry if the tweet that brought you here seemed unfriendly, because it didn't answer your question and pointed to another page. As you can see, the purpose was to invite further discussion, not shut it down.  
* I'm sorry if one of my tweets that brought you here seemed abrupt or unfriendly. As you can see, the purpose was to invite further discussion, not shut it down. If I could modify the tweets pointing here, or modify this page itself, in order to make that clearer, I'd welcome your thoughts on how to do that.
<!-- If I could modify the tweets pointing here, or modify this page itself, in order to make that clearer, I'd welcome your thoughts on how to do that. -->


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6/19/17, https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber/posts/Mx3eCDyebjY
6/19/17, https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber/posts/Mx3eCDyebjY
https://web.archive.org/web/20170810134605/https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber/posts/Mx3eCDyebjY
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Return to my [https://twitter.com/petersuber Twitter feed] (@petersuber).
Return to my [https://twitter.com/petersuber Twitter feed] (@petersuber).


Return to my [https://plus.google.com/+PeterSuber Google+ feed] (+petersuber).
Return to my [https://suber.pubpub.org/ blog].


Return to my [[Peter Suber | home page]].
Return to my [[Peter Suber | home page]].

Revision as of 16:20, 29 July 2020

 

If I referred you to this page from one of my tweets, then I'd like to follow up what we were discussing. But Twitter didn't give us the space to do it well, or even the space to talk about alternatives. — Peter Suber.

 

Worth discussing but not on Twitter

  • In a July 2016 blog post, I asked, "Is there a well-understood hashtag or abbreviation that means: Worth discussing but impossible on Twitter?"
  • At the time there wasn't one. I half-seriously proposed a bad one, WORDBIT, for WORth Discussing But Impossible on Twitter. I haven't used it and I'm still looking for something better. Let me know if you see a good one emerging.
  • If I had one, I'd use it in many of my Twitter threads, while linking to this page where I can explain myself.

Dialogue without oversimplification

  • I like dialogue. I like responding to questions and objections when I can, including questions or objections about my own work. But I don't like oversimplification. In fact, I like dialogue in part because it helps overcome oversimplification.
  • Hence, I don't like dialogue on Twitter. Or I don't like it once it reaches the point when serious contributions require more space than Twitter provides. For most topics worth discussing, that's very early in the process.
  • If I'm in a Twitter thread and someone asks me a question that requires a response too long for Twitter, I'd rather shift to a more accommodating platform than oversimplify or fall silent. That's what this page is about.

Shifting to a more accommodating platform

  • If I point to this page from one of my tweets, then I'm proposing one of the following paths, whichever you like best.
    1. Send me an email and I'll reply by email.
    2. If you have a blog that supports comments, post your question to your blog, let me know about it, and I'll post a comment. Or if you'd like, I could start the thread on my blog and you could post your comments there.
    • Here's an example from when I blogged at Google+. (I don't have any examples from my PubPub blog, which launched in May 2020.)
    • If you want the dialogue to be public, the blog option is better than the email option. It lets others watch our dialogue, join in, share the URL, and so on. Our back-and-forth could be as public and participatory as on Twitter, but we wouldn't have to stultify ourselves. Moreover, the blog discussion could link to the originating Twitter thread, and the Twitter thread could link to the blog discussion.
  • I'm sorry if the tweet that brought you here seemed unfriendly, because it didn't answer your question and pointed to another page. As you can see, the purpose was to invite further discussion, not shut it down.

 


Return to my Twitter feed (@petersuber).

Return to my blog.

Return to my home page.