LoudmouthmanTwittering has to be a symptom of a dysfunctional society.
[ 2010 – April : I had to update the blog post since Nadines Blog had changed the links where I could find the story ]
Well that is the view of Nadine Dorries – MP for Mid-Bedfordshire whose current blog post on her lack of interest on joining twitter leaves me yet again shaking my head that people who blog can do so in such an incredible information vacum.
Lets address some of the more interesting points ?
Did I really want to know what three hundred followers made of the film ‘In The Loop’. One opinion would do.
Well yes one comment might do, providing its the right one, however a sample set of several hundred comments which give you a more rounded and informed view of an opinion is a good thing. Having good , relevant and up to date  information is very, very, important and I would hope all our MPs would consider this the case.
Twittering has to be a symptom of a dysfunctional society. You know the one I’m talking about; when people don’t talk to, care about, help, consider or even interact with each other anymore. A survey last week found that the average Briton has three good friends.
Could it be a symptom of people finding ways to reach out beyond their own physical locations and finding new ways to make friends via a wider space. I know that I would hope my experiences and life views would be beyond the village walls? As for for three good friends ? Are we playing a numbers game with whom can have the most best friends ? Surely it is better for a person to have ANY friend they can call good than to play a numbers game of good and close vs far and virtual ?
Three good friends will be down to one in ten years as a whole generation of children who should have been kicking a ball around and building dens, take to the streets and discover that they don’t know how to cope, lacking the ability to share or socially interact. Largely due to spending their childhood on an X box or a lap top. Maybe twitter is where they will turn to for comfort.
There is plenty of other reports and surveys to demonstrate that online network building and gameplay only serve to encourage, promote and improve social skills. Especially for those for whom kicking a football around is not the preffered activity of choice. The question I would ask is , what was the survey really trying to prove ?
Might I suggest that for as much as there are things you may not wish to Twitter there are so many more things you certainly shouldnt blog.
You may however be interested in reading these articles to gain a more informed position on where Twitter and Social Networks are as a tool in modern society, politics and people.
The Conservatives own Web Page , which has a link for twitter on its main page. Or an article I wrote on the topic An Article on how I have used twitter to discuss Parish Council experiences.
Further I should thank Helen Duffett and Christian Payne both twitter members whose own twitterings had brought your article to my attention
Perhaps you would like to come with me to a Tuttle Club meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and meet and talk to the many great , creative and smart people . People whom I know are already hard at work using Twitter, Blogs, Video blogs as well as actual face to face meetings.
I leave that response entirely to you.
Thanks for Reading.
It’s a shame Twitter is still so often being sidelined as “a side-show of the banal” by influential people who could greatly benefit – indeed, channel pro-action – from interacting with its myriad users. Everyone stands to benefit from open dialogue–you just have to recognise the opportunity.
I admit Twitter’s presentation might not be the most indicative of this at first glance. But if you give Twitter more than approximately 30 seconds of your time before dismissing it, the potential for outreach should quickly becomes obvious.
Onward, social media soldiers!
that is actually an incredibly insulting post from the lady MP
Is she insinuating that folks who tweet DON’T know how to talk to, care for and laugh with each other?
Perhaps she should see the way in which support groups are utilising twitter to help remove the mental anguish of physical isolation felt by the housebound.. oh wait – that’s not caring, that’s sharing boring details of your life – or at the least it’s just an avenue for complainers.
Perhaps she should have someone explain what ‘conversation’ means and then point her in the direction of the @ symbol
..and as you have already pointed out master Nicholas – tweet-ups happen BECAUSE of twitter (hence the name..)at those you meet up, talk to AND laugh with people – and usually learn something useful in the process.
I’m so glad my MP isn’t stuck in the digital dark ages, especially as my poll card just dropped through the letter box – twitter will allow me to ask him many a question in the run up to June 4th