I’ve grown to really like Twitter.
Sure, it may be a place full of irrelevant verbal haemorrhage. Sometimes the steady stream of random tweets makes me feel like I’m stuck in the mind of a deranged telemarketer. People are out there promoting stuff, making inane statements about the colour of their breakfast or sharing regurgitated inspirational quotes. In short, it’s just like real life, but condensed into 140 characters.
Despite all that, it’s also the place where I’ve met a bunch of great fellow writers, bloggers and time wasters. I wouldn’t have known about some inspiring blogs or found as many guest posters for mine if it wasn’t for Twitter.
However, there’s one feature of Twitter that is essentially useless. I’m talking about Direct Messages. The basic idea is sound: you get to interact directly and privately with fellow Twitter users. That’s as far as the “sound” part of the equation goes. In reality, I now largely ignore my Twitter “inbox”, due to an overwhelming amount of spam and junk that lands there on a daily basis. Additionally, since there are no convenient sorting, filtering or categorising options it’s very hard to keep track of “real” direct messages.
“Folders?! What the fuck are ‘folders’?!” – Twitter programming team
Below I’ll show you the breakdown of my Twitter DM inbox. I’ll also go right ahead and make a sweeping assumption that these represent the contents of any typical Twitter user’s inbox. I’m entirely unfamiliar with the concepts of market research or statistical analysis.
1. The “Click Me” Bait
This is a message where people try to get you to click on a link by implying that the link has something to do with you. It’s either a picture of you that’s so hilarious it makes everyone go both “LOL” and “OMG” or some truly nasty stuff people have been saying about you. In both cases, you’re expected to click the link to check out this “picture” or “rumour” for yourself. Real life example:
Your friend has good taste!
Dude, I barely know you. There’s a pretty good chance I don’t know your friend. Why the hell is he posting pictures of me?!
Needless to say, I’ve never followed any of the links in these messages. At best, doing so will lead me to some promotional page and infect my computer to spread the same link to my contacts. At worst, I’ll awaken the sleeping spirit of Twitter Cthulhu who will proceed to feast on the souls of the innocents. Admittedly, the latter scenario is somewhat less likely.
2. The Impersonal Thanks
It appears that there are many services that let people send a direct message to you after you follow them. Again, sounds like a good idea, but the end result is usually a generic “Thanks for your follow” from someone who hasn’t even realised I’ve followed them yet. More often than not these are combined with immediate self-promotion (see point 4.). Real life example:
Thanks, automated message! I’m so happy you’re looking forward to my Tweets.
I don’t mind a courteous message from someone welcoming me to their account. When it’s combined with links to 17 of their blogs and 10 books they’re trying to sell, it gets a bit annoying. Some of these messages go as far as to blatantly lie, in the form of “Thanks for the follow. Have just checked out your site, subscribed to your page, paid your electricity bills and told all your friends you’re awesome. Please buy my book”.
Wow, you have done all that five seconds after I’ve clicked “Follow” on your profile? Why’re you wasting such superpowers on Twitter? You should be out there fighting crime, or, at the very least, rescuing cats from trees.
3. The CAPTCHA Trap
There’s a pretty useful service out there, called True Twit. It aims to ensure that people following you are, in fact, people and not automated bots that want to drink your blood (that’s the danger of automated bots on Twitter, right?). Unfortunately, the way this is achieved is by sending you the following message with a clickable link:
I’m valid, I promise!
The link takes you to a page where you prove you’re human. The service used to achieve this via those pesky CAPTCHAs. Recently, it “simplified” the process by making you slide bits of a picture around until they form a whole, with occasionally horrifying results:
“We must find the bastard who chopped up our victim”
Oh dear God! What is that thing?! Kill it! For the love of God, kill it!
On their website True Twit mention that they’re working on a way to validate people without the use of direct messages. Until then – alas, I have to see my inbox fill up with validation links and deformed monsters.
4. The Shameless Spam
Some people throw all of that subtlety and “Nice to meet you” foreplay out the window and just go straight to promoting whatever it is they’re currently selling. Real life example:
And here’s a fantastic “Block” button that allows me to never hear from you again!
I’ve even gotten messages along the lines of “Hey RT this for me: (some kind of thing or stuff)”. Now, I will gladly (and voluntarily) tweet about things I personally find interesting, such as fellow blogger’s posts or their books, etc.
What I will not do is re-tweet a post that I have zero interest in, from a person whom I don’t really know, just because they’ve taken the effort to spam my inbox. Sorry buddy, but you’ll have to find another way to promote the “10 amazing ways to make money from home”. Also, if you’re making so much money from home, why can’t you afford proper advertising?
5. The Neutered Personal Message
On extremely rare occasions a genuine personal message lands in my inbox. It’s clear that the person took the time to get to know a bit about me and truly wants to connect. I respond in kind and we chat for a while…and that “while” is usually very short. That’s because some bright mind at Twitter thought: “You know what makes Twitter so successful? The 140 character limit! That’s literally the only thing we’ve got going for us!”
“Hey, guys, check this out! I think I’ve just discovered the world’s largest number!”
So now direct messages are also limited to 140 characters, which makes any sensible communication impossible to maintain for too long. Messages get split into many parts and get intertwined and confusing, especially if both people are writing at the same time. Yes, I have a short attention span and get easily thrown off, but…ooooh what’s that? Shiny!
Before you’re gonna point out the obvious, Sheriff McObvious of Obvious Town – yes, it’s very easy to exchange email or any other contact information and continue the conversation outside of Twitter. In fact, that’s pretty much what happens. Which only strengthens my argument about the uselessness of the Twitter DM inbox itself. If I need other social sites to continue a conversation, all my Twitter inbox can do is sit there collecting word clutter.
And that’s exactly what it does.
If you’re insightful, you may have gathered from above that I’m not quite fond of Twitter’s current DM inbox functionality. I hope that it eventually evolves to become a useful tool, but for now I’m just laughing sooooo hard at this picture somebody posted of you.
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@K_Einsel Thanks for RT and commenting
The one I hate most is where someone will post a spam link with your name. It’s like, “Why are you tagging me with your spam? I don’t want to be associated with it!” As for the DM’s where they say someone posted a pic of you, are really sad because 9 times out of 10 that person’s twitter account has been hacked and because it has been hacked you can’t send them a DM telling them it’s been hacked because the hacker deletes your message!
@K_Einsel True true…they’re also getting more “edgy” lately – now it’s not just “this person” but a “bitch” or a “slut” spreading rumours about you!
@NestExpressed Read your blog and I’ve had those same wth is this moments with NOT all dm but most of them.
@RoxAlvaradoNJ Hehehe indeed…Twitter DMs are a daily source of bafflement and confusion…also entertainment
@NestExpressed Hey but at least one of them promised to be my bff for liking their fb page :-p
@RoxAlvaradoNJ Hhahaa well see, you’ve made some friends!
@NestExpressed Brilliant post, as always!
@EllaMedler Thanks, it’s a bit old now, but I guess still relevant
Have an awesome weekend!
ROFL! I think you just covered every complaint I have about Twitter! Glad it’s not just me
Love it!
@MEFranco1 I’m glad we share thoughts on Twitter! Someone had to speak up and make the world hear!
Right! RT > @NestExpressed Saturday Flashback: The 5 types of junk in my Twitter Direct Messages inbox http://t.co/v9CLFLVS #funny #Twitter
@TrishaNicholson Thanks for the RT
@Leeroy7Com Appreciate the RT!
@ACJenman Thanks for the RT, glad you liked the post!
I only get irrelevant DM messages when someone I follow has been hacked so I can’t say I’m familiar with your complaints. Perhaps be more careful who you follow? People you don’t follow can’t send them to you. I find it a useful tool to share things like email addresses which I don’t want made public or if I’m having a bit of an anonymous rant and someone I know asks me for the specifics.
@patchworkbunny Sounds like you’re only referring to the first type of DM I’m talking about, where accounts are in fact hacked. The other points, apart from maybe 4, are true even if I follow people I do indeed want to follow
. Also, far from complaining, I’m making light-hearted fun of it…thanks for commenting!
.@IanMakay @NestExpressed Funny stuff! A Captcha DM showed up last night. I was so excited to rearrange a frog, & I only got fuzzy numbers:)
@BakedAlaskaInOr @IanMakay You’ve missed out big time!
.@NestExpressed @IanMakay I was so disappointed. Who do I have to follow that’ll give me stuff to dissect? I’m not good with numbers.
LOL @BakedAlaskaInOr @NestExpressed I could relate! ; )
Feel like laughing? Check this out. RT @NestExpressed “5 types of clutter in my Twitter Direct Messages inbox http://t.co/9YcmeUcB “
@carrie_rubin I appreciate the RT
@NestExpressed No problem. Now get to work. I know I should
As always, thanks for a good laugh. Loved the “Sheriff McObvious of Obvious Town”. I think we all know that guy
@crubin Oh yeah? You know him too? Next time you see him, tell him I say “hi”…actually no, don’t. Glad I could make you laugh.
@IanMakay Thanks for the RT!
@NestExpressed My pleasure! It had me chuckling in agreement! ; )
@IanMakay Yeah I figured most Twitter people will be able to relate. Delivering chuckles to a screen near you is my hobby…
@NestExpressed Putting it mildly! LOL… I’ll be looking for the laughter! ; )
@BakedAlaskaInOr Thanks for the RT, happy to make you laugh
.@NestExpressed I was trying to think up something clever to send to your DM, but decided to just laugh instead. Fun read.
@BakedAlaskaInOr Hehehehe would’ve probably ended up buried in the avalanche of have-you-seen-this-picture’s
.@NestExpressed My personal favorite is, “I read a really bad blog about you”. I’ve become very efficient with my block feature. LOVE it!
@BakedAlaskaInOr Indeed, all hail the Block button