Yes, they do exist.

As much as I love it, my deficiencies when it comes to social media are alarming behind for a blogger. At first, I loved Twitter – I’ve written multiple essays featuring the tool and have praised it from the very beginning.

After downloading Tweetdeck, my love soon turned to obsession. I would find myself sitting on Twitter all day long, following links and finding info like it was a game on which my life depended. Luckily, final essays rolled around and I had to kiss my Tweeting habit goodbye for a couple of weeks.

Now, I’m back. Kinda. It’s been a hard road back too – why? Here’s five things I hate (but also secretly love some of them…) about Twitter.

Information Overload

When I first started Tweeting, I had a modest group of followers and those who I followed. It was nice – I made new friends and it was all very…manageable. But, the whole point of Twitter is, of course, to have more than just a handful of people you’re keeping tabs on. So I followed some more. And some more. And now there’s so many people and so many different tweets it does my head in trying to keep up. Make them stop!!!!!

Time Vacuum

There are two types of Twitter users: those who have Twitter on in the background whilst at home or at work, glancing back every so often to see what’s going on. And then there are those who sit in front of their Tweetdeck or other such program and spend their entire day clicking on links and playing the Twitter ‘game’ non-stop in a highly impractical an frustrating way. Before you know it, the entire day has vanished before your eyes and you’ve seen it all happen on Twitter.

I am one of the latter.

Everyone is doing it now.

When I first started, Twitter wasn’t understood by many, let alone used or embraced like it is now. In a way, it’s a good thing, but I can’t help by anticipate a Myspace-like death when everyone’s over it.

Automatic Direct Messages

The idea of sending a ‘Thank you!’  tweet is, of course, an honorable one. However, when these messages are sent en masse to any old sod who decides to click on the ‘follow’ button, the kind thought soon disintegrates into a meaningless gesture. Yes, we can tell. Hmph. I hate them.

It’s like the Facebook Happy Birthday message vs. the 25c text.

*rests case*

Having 2 use txt lang to fit in 140 characters.

*shudders*. I understand the whole notion of brevity, the liberating feeling which coincides with letting every fleeting thought fall out of your head and into the Twittersphere. What frustrates me is when you’re that pesky 1-5 characters over and look to condense wherever you possibly can. I just don’t know if I can keep betraying my twenty years of good English grammar teachings this way.

I suppose though, despite my whining, that perhaps all these things are what make Twitter the way it is? Thoughts?