OUTRAGE! vrs You Can Say Anything You Like on Twitter

I'm a big fan of Twitter.
I think it's a really great way to keep up to date with a whole host of different sets of interests and friends and hobbies and family.

It's not perfect however, through no fault of Twitter itself.
There are cultures forming that are quite opposite that are both equally irritating.

1) Faux outrage(!)
At least a couple of times per day I'm now seeing someone outraged at something they've seen in the media. Get a grip. If you read something on the internet that starts your hackles rising, ask yourself these two questions before you wade in with your own comments.
a) Am I actually offended by this myself, in person, on behalf of a loved one or professionally? Imagined offence by an unknown third party doesn't count.
b) Am I being trolled? There are many people out there who just want to cause offence. No, I don't know why either, but there you are. If you've been offended by something a Troll has said, ignore it. An angry reply is exactly what they want. An example is the Daily Mail, any page you like, or online. Its whole purpose is to make you outraged - don't let it. Right, that's outrage dealt with. Now the opposite.

2) You Can Say Anything You Like on Twitter.
I don't understand why otherwise sensible, clever people feel the need to make outrageous comments on the web. It happens everywhere, but Twitter is worst, maybe because its limit of 140 characters can lead people to edit all the facts out of their insightful comment before it's posted. The nature of retweets doesn't help. Don't assume you can make a whole big point on twitter in twenty consecutive tweets, coz someone might take the middle one and retweet it out of context. You know the one, it's the tweet that looks like a soundbite with no facts in it.

I had a fairly mild disagreement with a fellow tweeter last night. If I'd followed my own advise in point one above I would never have commented, and if he'd followed my advice in point two then it wouldn't have happened anyway.

So, to sum up, can we all please try to avoid offending anyone, and being offended.
Thanks.


Want do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Is it safe to walk in London again yet...

Of course it is.

For anyone going about their business in London everything is normal. I'm sure there are places in Tottenham and Croydon and elsewhere where damage is evident - and I really feel for those people who have lost homes and personal items, for those who have lived in fear for the last few nights and businesses that have lost profits.

But London is not a war zone.

For the vast majority of people who live and/or work here, everything is normal. Except the undercurrent of fear and anger at the rioters. Everyone has an opinion - call in the Army, call in the water cannons, shoot them with rubber bullets, or even real ones. Some are quick to blame one race or another, either for the rioting or for causing the conditions that led to it.

I’ve followed the rioting at a safe distance through Twitter and TV reports, watching as the brave reported on what was actually happening in the streets, and as the misguided spread fear about non-existent problems in their community. The worst things I've read were filled with hatred and bile; I’ve also seen it said that for those involved the rioting has a carnival atmosphere - "a party with fires and free gifts". You can't shame these people by telling them that those affected have been left with nothing - most of them had nothing to start with.

So yes - we need to get control of the streets; repair the damage, we need to find those that broke the law and punish them appropriately.

But then what? Surely a part of the answer is education, both for the disaffected kids and parents that so obviously don’t have control. And finding some way to help those suffering the worst poverty. Not that real poverty was the cause of this any more than the police shooting an armed suspect. The looters were not taking things they need - food and basic clothing - but things they want - mobile phones, booze, trainers, designer labels.

But if you're reading this for the answer then I'm sorry to disappoint; I don't have it. What I've seen over the last few days has saddened and angered me - but not actually affected me. If the riots had been in my community I think I'd be there in the clean-up crew, but I doubt I've really got much to add beyond that. I've read articles that talk of volunteering to help the illiterate read, or of taking the role of appropriate adult. These are the type of things that really have the power to change things for the better - but like the majority of people, I don't have the time or the inclination to get involved myself.