Flirting on the Internet

We all flirt. It's kind of second nature to most of us, right? I'll admit, I'm an avid flirter. But what I want to discuss is flirting on the internet, MAINLY Twitter. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a Twitter addict. I am using it everyday, pretty much all day like most of my followers. So this is where I get my observations from. I am not going to bring my personal relationships into this, but that is where my frustration derives from.

We all say that "it's JUST twitter", "it doesn't mean anything", and "it's not that serious". But is that the truth? Flirtatious tweets to people you've NEVER met is one thing. That isn't that serious because you don't know the person, nor do you have any intention on meeting them in person. But flirtateous tweets to girls/guys that you physically know in person while you have a significant other is plain DISRESPECTFUL, no matter you put it. I've heard time and time again "that's just my homegirl" and "we just play around". But so what?! Flirting is still flirting and it's disrespectful to the one you're with. I believe that if you're in a relationship and you're letting someone who's NOT your significant other call you babe/bay/honey, etc. that's pushing it a little too far. Then you get hit with "it's just twitter!". How is your significant other supposed to know that? And THEN you get hit with "well why are you snooping and looking at who I'm tweeting?". Are you REALLY asking me that on a site where that's basically the POINT to look at people's timelines and seeing what they're talking about and who they're talking to? And why are you worried about it if you're not doing anything wrong? Ok, ok, maybe my personal relationships ARE coming into play while I'm writing this, but I have a right to be upset!

All I'm saying is, people need to watch what they say and who they say it to. Don't let Twitter be the demise of your relationship. That's dumb. But also, if you're sending flirtatious tweets to some person who's not your significant other ONline, what are you saying OFFline?

Signed,

AINT-NO-FURY-LIKE-A-WOMAN-SCORNED!

Twitter: Do's and Don'ts

Twitter.. one of the most popular social networking sites of 2010. If you have one like I do (follow me! @msgiarenee. *shameless plug*) and USE it on a daily basis, then you understand all the ins and outs. But some people just don't understand.. It's sad really. Being the twitter addict that I am, I have chosen a couple Twitter "Rules" (if you will), that a new tweeter NEEDS to abide by. Trust me, if you do (or refrain from) these simple rules, your Twitter experience is SURE to be maximized!

DO talk to at least 40% of the people you follow. That is one of the MAIN things wrong with Twitter.. People follow thousands of people and don't wanna say a word! What's the point? That's why my follow count isn't as high as it could be. I could EASILY follow well over 1,000 people. But I choose not to because not everyone is that interesting to follow and talk to.

DON'T "go in" on #twitterafterdark. For those of you who don't know, #twitterafterdark is a "trending topic" for all the self-proclaimed "freaks" on Twitter. So basically, people sit at their computers, phones, whatever and say nasty things they WISH they were actually doing. It's POINTLESS and STUPID to say the least. I've actually unfollowed numerous people because they participate in this filth. It's pathetic. How about you stop talking about getting some and actually GET SOME?

DO tweet things of substance. How many times have you been looking at someone's timeline and wanted to follow them just based off what they were tweeting? This is the BEST way to get followers. People want to follow people they feel will make their timeline interesting. Be thoughtful about what you tweet. Tweeting nonsense may get you ReTweets, but it'll also get you laughed at.

DON'T participate in #teamfollowback. If this isn't the most idiotic "team" on Twitter, I don't know what is. #teamfollowback is a bunch of idiots on twitter who follow EVERYONE who follows them, back. What the heck do I look like following someone JUST because they followed me? What if they're boring? What if they're offensive? It's just plain STUPID. What happened to the days when people used to get followers from word-of-mouth and RT's? SMH.

DO censor yourself.. to a degree. No one needs to know that you just started your period, you woke up with a hard-on, or that you just got your STD results and tested positive for ghona-sypha-herps. Control what you say! Twitter is a place to express yourself, but not that much. Some things just need to be kept to yourself.

DON'T make up some dumb a*s name to make yourself stand out. What the eff is @iRAPEDBUDDHA or @littleDICKsyndrome? These names just popped into my head, but you get my point. These random/stupid names need to DIE. These names like @iBLAHBLAH (any name with "i" at the beginning) also need to cease and desist. People are now trying to get a little TOO original. Keep you name simple. You guys THINK you're funny.. but your name is idiotic. I saw someone's Twitter name was @iEATBLOODYPUSSY and I wanted to delete my account RIGHT THEN. Like, WTF? Who even thinks of stuff like that. I think the guy was trying to do it to be funny, but it's just gross. This also goes along with the previous rule of CENSORING YOURSELF.

how about some more "Don'ts"?

DON'T put "verefied" with a little check mark in your bio/name. No matter how many times you write it, you're not special.

DON'T "go in" on #FF. IT DOESN'T WORK. You're better off tweeting something interesting or funny to get more followers. It only works if you're #teamfollowback. And in that case, you're a loser.

DON'T think that because you have 1,000+ followers, you're somebody. Because chances are, in real life, you're still a nobody.

DON'T put pictures of your boobs/butt as your twitcon. It's not cute.

DON'T put a picture of wads of cash as your twitcon. Do you REALLY think I'm going to think you're cool if you spread out ALL your savings account money and post it as your twitcon? I think not. $50 in $1's may look like a lot. But you're not fooling ANYONE. I'd be more impressed with you showing a picture of your debit card.

That's all I can think of for now.. Please abide by these rules, and you'll be fine on Twitter... What are some do's and don'ts you can think of for Twitter? Leave a comment and school us!