September 28th, 2009
So I’m an old fart. It is something that I’m beginning to come to grips with and so should all of you. That being said, I’m beginning to get annoyed with the way some people choose to use and misuse hashtags.
I’m well aware that this is a free country, that Twitter is a free service, and that I should have absolutely no say in how people use Twitter. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not an old fart and that I don’t have an opinion and that I’m not about to voice that opinion right now.
Hashtags can be extremely useful. Using a hashtag in a tweet is very similar to tagging a blog post, a photo, or a bookmark. For instance, if I was going to send a tweet that I wanted to be searchable by a keyword or keywords that were not included in the tweet – such as #food or #ConferenceNameHere – then hashtags are incredibly powerful.
However, and this is the important part, when a tweet already includes the word you don’t need to use a hashtag. If I was to send a tweet that said: “Writing a blog post about hashtags.” I could append some hashtags like #writing #blog or the like. But that’d be redundant. I already said I was writing on my blog.
I can let this sort of abuse slide though. No big deal. Except there is a second hashtag offense that I see and it is this one in particular that I’m really beginning to loathe. I can not stand it when people use hashtags for a punchline or a snarky remark at the end of the tweets.
Example: “Writing a blog post about hashtags. #iMustBeLame”. Or, “Writing a blog post about hashtags. #snarky #oldfart”. Neither of those two examples are good jokes but I hope you get the point nonetheless.
I’m all for a good joke. I follow a lot of funny people on Twitter simply because I’m all for a good joke. But come on, using a hashtag as a punchline is wearing very, very thin.
For what its worth here is my strategy for tweeting and the use of hashtags. In general I try my very best to include all pertinent information into a tweet using normal language. So, if I did want to include the fact that I was lame and that my blog post about hashtags was going to be snarky and that I am an old fart for doing it – I’d probably tweet something like this: “Writing a snarky blog post about the misuse of hashtags. I’m either lame or just an old fart.” No need for any hashtags and all of the information is included in the tweet in a readable, human way.
Now that I’ve got that off my chest I’m going to go on vacation for a few days in a place that has sun, sand, a remarkable view of the ocean, and that won’t have Twitter access. Maybe by the time I get back I won’t be such an old fart.
#doubtit
You’ve got it right. I rarely use them, except when I want to include something that may not have been clear, and you want it to show up in trending topics or searches. Examples:
Right: ‘Drinking Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA #beer’
Awkward: ‘Drinking my favorite #beer’
Wrong: ‘Drinking some beer #drinking #beer’
Right: ‘I can’t believe Obama ate a 5lb. cheese burger! #politicaleatingcontest’
Wrong: ‘I had fun watching the Political Eating Contest #politicaleatingcontest’
Let the joke hash tags slide though, man!
Really? Some people (and I’m purposefully not mentioning any names) use them as punchlines so often that it made me sit down and write this post.
Again, vacation might do the trick.
As an aside, I believe your first example would be better if written… “Drinking my favorite beer; Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA. Delicious.”
I’ll draw attention to a line at the bottom of the body of your post here that begins: “Tags”
I will further mention that all of the tags here listed are also in the post itself. If you applied your twitter logic to this instance, then it also would be redundant. However, they do in fact serve a purpose. They are a specialized part of the message that contain information that may be used in various ways by differing sources. Hashtags are materially the same.
Sorta.
Actually, my tag system here on my site is slightly different. Although one could search for these terms I generally use them for categorization. True, the metadata itself is redundant but they are not the same. The body is separate from the tags in every way. In a tweet, all you have is the body, so adding a redundant hashtag adds no value whatsoever while the tags on this post add value in other categorical ways.
BTW, the tags on this post are also meant to be part of the punchline. Hah.
Microformats.
I say this because they are a terrific example of how you can make data available and explicit, and after you have said data available can then come up with all sorts of zany ways to utilize it. Given the length limitations on tweets, there are very limited ways in which you can ‘mark up’ the message. Hashtags were thus born of this less-than-spoken concept of ‘make data explicit.’
The entire practice of SEO is another area where these concepts are borne witness to. Based on semantics, various weights are given. So when I say (please let character encoding ‘just work’):
<h1>My post on starfish</h1>
<p>The ocean has a plethora of wonderful creatures to be found within! Squid, Octopi, and even Starfish!</p>
Programs ‘in-the-know’ recognize that the focus of my post is not to define what a plethora is, nor to talk at length about the ocean itself; rather, it is to give voice to my thoughts regarding starfish.
Fifteen years ago, these concepts were not really given much attention. Now, however, they comprise a fairly lucrative industry! What I propose is that the principles behind these ideas and the use, overuse or even perceived misuse of twitter hashtags may fall under the same umbrella.
Loving all the thoughts in this, Colin!
I definitely follow a few people with the punchline hashtags. I occasionally have a laugh, but sometimes they’re just too much.
I understand where you’re coming from with the ‘lame old fart’ thoughts. That said, you’re, like, a year older than me, right? We have our 80s to be old farting around.
Also, what’s the ratio of valuable to pointless tweets from a particular user you follow? If there’s more on the pointless side, then there’s a handy unfollow button. You can always follow again if you miss their tweets.
— I know you know this. Just sayin’.
I’ m guilty of this…
Perhaps it’s why you don’t follow me d=
I didn’t know it bothered people but now I’ll be more aware of it. I personally don’t do it anymore for humour purposes. I just do it because it entertains me. If that makes sense… I get tired of my boring ol’ plain tweets d=
Honestly, I have to disagree with your thoughts on the punchline hashtags – I love finding a new joke format – it’s like knock-knock jokes or walks-into-a-bar jokes, we’re witnessing the invention of an entirely new genre if joke.
And on that note… This tweet made me smile:
“Writing a blog post about hashtags. #snarky #oldfartâ€
but your supposedly “correct” tweet?
“Writing a snarky blog post about the misuse of hashtags. I’m either lame or just an old fart.â€
boooring… too many more of those and I’m reaching for the unfollow button.
I agree with you, Colin.
Seeing hashtags that are abused like this as trending topics really makes me want to go on vacation.
It’s like you were at a pool party and then suddenly there are a bunch of people who showed up and started skinnydipping. Not cool.
Maybe it’s time to leave the party?
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There is no requirement that you do anything with hashtags other than read the word that is “hashed” so what difference does it make to you?
Its my blog and I can cry if I want to, cry if I want to. You would cry too if it happened to you.
Anyway… David, I respect what you’re saying. I’m an old fart though. Old farts complain.