The Death Of Tweetdeck

Well, I guess it’s not technically dead. They were all “Oh it’s still online so it’s not like it’s really gone! Ha ha—wait, why are you all leaving?” Like we don’t know that they canceled the desktop version of Tweetdeck because they don’t get any ad revenue from it.

Twitter has made some really annoying changes over the years. The worst part is they aren’t awful. Yes, that makes sense, shut up. The changes they’ve made aren’t anything that would make someone quit. But they do make it a lot suckier to use. Case in point: stop calling Favorites Likes damn it this isn’t Facebook. And like dropping the desktop version of Tweetdeck. Yeah, it’s lame as hell, but you’re not going to quit and trash all of your followers for it.

But I really liked being able to access Twitter without having to go through my browser. I especially liked the fact that it presented your lists in easy to read columns where you could keep your important/interesting follows separate from the ones that are basically spambots. Overall, I liked the convenience and presentation of Tweetdeck more than Twitter itself. So obviously I’m going to find something to replace it rather than use the damn browser version. Seriously, Twitter must think I’m stupid.

And that’s how I found Janetter. It’s basically another Tweetdeck, but…well, it’s not a perfect one. Here, let me break it down for you:

Pros

---Can hit enter to tweet again. The fact that you couldn’t do that on Tweetdeck really bugged me.

---Has little wavy lines to show when you’ve caught up to tweets that you’ve already read.

---Still calls Favorites Favorites. Honestly, this may be the clincher.

Cons

---The settings aren’t very intuitive, so they can be hard to figure out.

---Does not show favorites or RTs : (. Unless there’s some way to do it through the settings that I can’t figure out (see above).

---Can’t click on a tweet and see all the responses to it. Kind of annoying that you see a response and can’t figure out what it’s for without going to Twitter.

---Interface is a bit jerky, and it can be slow at displaying new Tweets.

So that’s it. In all, it’s an acceptable substitute. Plus we have Favorites. I really, really like that.

Blocked

Have I used this title before? I think I have, when referring to writer’s block. Which this isn’t about.

Having followers is nice. It means someone’s willing to put up with your ramblings. But of course there are those who turn the process into a crapshoot by being the digital equivalent of the creepy guy on the bus who sits next to you when there are like ten empty seats and some of them are next to each other so why are you here?

1. People with pornographic avatars.

One time, on my old blog, I gained a new follower and was like, yay. I clicked on the followers button on the dashboard. I look at the picture of my new follower, and I’m like, “What is that? It almost looks like a…oh, crap, it is.”

2. People who don’t use correct grammar in their bios.

It’s usually a sign that they just put something through Google Translate and posted it, which means a spammer, of course.

3. People with an advertisement in their bio.

I’m not talking about people with links to their books on Amazon or something. These people (okay, spammers) will want you to buy whatever it is they’re selling, whether it’s spambot followers or Vitamins to Help you lose wieght.

4. People with innocuous sounding handles that turn out to mean something way crazy/offensive.

I was so excited to get a new follower on Tumblr, and I followed “Thingtwoknow” back to be courteous. And then my dashboard was filled with rants about how mass shootings have nothing to do with guns, but are actually the fault of the medications people take for mental illness. Annnnnd block.

5. Anyone anonymous.

It should be pretty obvious why. People are a lot less likely to be jerks when their name is attached to whatever idiocy they’re spouting.

Seriously. Pick another seat.

Sociable

All right, I’m going to give you the rundown on some different social media sites that you’ve probably heard of but maybe not because I’m out of post ideas I’m always here to help.

Facebook

What it is: General social media hub where you can post pictures, messages, and easily communicate with others.

Pros: Everyone’s on it.

Cons: Everyone’s on it.

Why I’m (not) on it: All of my relatives have Facebook accounts. See my Thanksgrieving posts as for why that’s an issue.

Why it’s going to stick around: Again, everyone’s on it. It’s one of the easiest ways to message others. Remember when AIM used to be a thing? It’s like that, but better.

Twitter

What it is: Post whatever you’re thinking in 140 characters or less.

Pros: If someone checks their Twitter often, it’s very easy to communicate with them. Plus it’s made for prattling on about useless nonsense.

Cons: Half the people on it are spambots.

Why I’m on it: Besides the fact that I’m made of useless nonsense, I’m still in my twenties, so by law, I have to be on it.

Why it’s going to stick around: In an age where people stop reading after one paragraph, Twitter is king.

Reddit

What it is: If Facebook and Wikipedia had a baby, this would be it (basically, user generated stories are voted up and down by other users).

Pros: It’s a surprisingly powerful force to be reckoned with.

Cons: Like Wikipedia, the content is only as accurate as the uploader makes it, although it can be corrected by subsequent comments.

Why I’m (not) on it: While it’s mostly good, I’ve seen some rather offensive things on it.

Why it’s going to stick around: Like I said, it’s a powerful force, and people like being part of that.

Tumblr

What it is: A blogging platform teenagers still use because their parents aren’t on it.

Pros: You can post pictures, articles, videos, pretty much anything. It also prides itself on being a place for anyone “different”.

Cons: Say something bad about a fandom and the entire populace will turn on you.

Why I’m on it: It’s great for single serving blogs dedicated to a particular subject.

Why it’s going to stick around: Because there will always need to be an alternative to Facebook. Preferably one without our parents.

Goodreads

What it is: Facebook for books.

Pros: A lot of authors will hold giveaways exclusive to Goodreads.

Cons: People will one star your favorite book and refuse to explain why.

Why I’m (not) on it: I’m someone who will reread twenty books I’ve read before in between every new book. I wouldn’t post much.

Why it’s going to stick around: It’s the closest thing to having a book club some people will have.

Things Not to Have in your Twitter Profile

Another Twitter post because honestly, I just keep stumbling across some bizarre things. I don’t know how people do it on The Face Book, but on Twitter, the skill is being able to describe something in 140 characters, or 160 for your profiles. It can be a challenge, yes, but don’t trip into the following Profile Pitfalls:

1. Don’t have nothing but hashtags.

#writer #person #something else #a bunch of other things #all in one word #so what I’m doing here is a little misleading #but you get it

Somehow I have doubts about your writing ability if your profile only has one word hashtags. PS: same goes when you have nothing but nouns punctuated by commas.

2. Nothing but links to your book.

www.buybookone.com, www.buybooktwo.com, www.buybookthree.com, www.doitnow.com, www.seriouslyiknowwhereyoulive.com

It’s one thing to promote your books. It’s quite another when there is literally nothing about you. To me, this seems like a red flag that this person is going to do nothing but spam tweets with these same links in them, and sometimes I like to actually connect with people on Twitter.

3. Nothing but shortened links.

www.acoupleofletters.com (really www.younowhaveavirus.com)

I don’t like shortened links. You don’t know where they lead to and it’s like picking up some strange in a bar: it could be all right, but it could also infect you up the wazoo. I generally do not follow back people with shortened links. It’s another red flag that you’ll be spammed, and it’s probably not going to be something as innocuous as book promotions.

4. A quote from somebody else.

“Something really deep.” Misattributed author.

Generally, these tweeters also have nothing but quotes as their tweets, too. Back when I first started on Twitter and didn’t really get was going on, I followed a few of these people. I got nothing but spam DMs. Lesson learned.

5. Really creepy descriptions.

I like fairies, and unicorns, and skinning people alive, and wishing wells.

Okay, that’s exaggerating, but you get the idea. Someone once followed me with the description of both “14 year old” and “amateur psychoanalyst.” There’s just something off about that. How about this one: “I WILL ELIMINATE YOUR NEGATIVE ENERGIES!” It’s almost a threat.

Okay, so that’s all for today. Remember, if you’re on Twitter or might be someday, don’t be a spammer. Or a creep. Really, really don’t be a creep.

Repeating Repetition

One thing I’ve noticed over my over two years of blogging is that the same subjects tend to repeat themselves. Advice about writing mostly, dos and don’ts, methods of editing, plotting versus pantsing, etc. etc. Sometimes a particular subject appearing on several blogs in the space of a few weeks.

Is this a bad thing? No. This advice needs to be repeated, not only for those who have just started blogging but for everyone who needs to be reminded of all the minutiae of writing a publishable book. And so, in that vein…

Most Commonly Repeated Advice for Writers

1. Have a platform (Twitter, Pintrest, Blog, Tumblr)

Bonus rule to make things difficult: make it something your potential readers would want to read.

2. Write every day.

Bonus rule to make things difficult: except when it’s not every day. I’ve seen one or two of those.

3. Write what you know and what you’re passionate about.

Bonus rule to make things difficult: write what’s marketable.

4. Follow agents, visit writing forums, socialize with other writers.

Bonus rule to make things difficult: oh yeah. Did I mention you have to do all this while writing and editing your books?

And of course there are a million more like these, each contradicting the last. Is there a moral to the story? Uh…I don’t know. Maybe just go with what works? Do what you can and don’t kill yourself too much when you fail? Never give up?

Take what you will from this. And here’s a cat using a stuffed animal for a pillow:

Also, she has part of a curtain on there.

The Top Four…

Things you shouldn’t do on Twitter (but which I totally do anyway). Because…I don’t know. I like lists, I guess.

1. Talk about inconsequential things like being bored, seeing something not all that strange but that you think is interesting, cats.

            Why it’s wrong: No one really cares about seeing a guy sleeping on the bus or hearing about how much you hated some woman at the store who should not have been in the damn express lane with something like fifty items, seriously, what the hell.

            Why I do it anyway: Because sometimes the spider outside my window freaks me out and I want to share. And face it. You all love hearing about what the cats are up to.

2. Tweet about how you’re going to sleep.

            Why it’s wrong: Again, no one really cares. It’s social media. You can leave without announcing yourself.

            Why I do it anyway: Sometimes I’m in the middle of conversations and I want to make sure people know why I’m not responding. It’s not that the subject is closed. I just can’t keep my eyes open anymore.

3. Complain about people/minor annoyances.

            Why it’s wrong: No one likes persistent negativity.

            Why I do it anyway: One part need for commiseration one part hope that maybe someone in Twitterland has a way around it. Even I have my limits, though. But sometimes the political calls, advertisements and commercials get to be too much and if I don’t say anything my brains will burst out of my skull.

4. Self-promote.

            Why it’s wrong: The “social” part of social media means people want to interact with you, not read an advertisement aboutyou.

            Why I do it anyway: I don’t usually, since I don’t often have anything to promote, but there are occasions. I try to keep it within an acceptable ratio: for every one promotion, there’s at least four non-related tweets. They have to be spaced out, too. Just as long as people know I’m a person, not a spambot.

There. Well, I at least think I’m more accurate about Twitter than I am on what makes a popular post. Have a fun weekend!

Become part of the be nice online movement

Being nice.

I think it’s something we could all use a lot of. I was talking to the incomparable Gavriella Zahtz about the hatred spewing forth online. It happens on almost every subject. Pick one and you’ll find someone who hates it and is determined to insult everyone who disagrees.

I don’t get it. I know it’s online and (virtually) anonymous, but why are people so rude? Why am I called “part of the pet-obsessed problem” when I sign animal rights petitions? Why am I called a nazi because I support a single payer health care system? Disagree with me. Explain reasons why I am wrong. But don’t call me names and don’t expect me to change.

Social media is a powerful tool. It connects people who otherwise wouldn’t meet and it can unite people in different countries. So why do people use it as a place to bully people, humiliate them, or post their address when they don’t like the singer you do?

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. The world would be a better place if people let go of the anger and remembered other people's points of view are just as valid as theirs. Jesus forgave the people who crucified him. I think I can let be nice to people who disagree with me. Even if they are rude.

And you?