So! You're probably here because you'd like to know what you're getting into when you hit that 'Follow' button on Twitter. Fantastic! Let's get started.
So, who are you, anyway?
I'm commonly known on the internet as 'Brinstar'. I'm a gamer with a blog and some opinions. You can find out more about me on my 'About' page.
Like many people, the online persona I choose to project on the internet is probably a bit different from what you'd expect me to be like in-person. Words on the internet never fully encapsulate what someone is like as a person. But to truly know the difference, I guess you'd have to meet me. :-P
What can I expect you to tweet about?
Did ya read my 'About' page on the blog? Awesome. Since you've read that, it gives you an idea of what I'm interested in. In more detail, I tweet about:
- Games
- Gaming culture
- Gaming + feminism/anti-oppression
- Technology
- Gadgets
- Other media (anime, films, television, print, etc.)
- The media
- Politics
- Culture
- Feminism + anti-oppression
- Current events + feminism
- Sexism and misogyny
- Racism
- Homophobia
- Other types of oppression (ableism, biphobia, transphobia, fatphobia, etc.)
- Social injustice
- My daily life
- How I feel about all of the above
- Other stuff
My opinions may fall outside of your personal comfort zone or you may disagree with them. What I post may be controversial according to your personal standards.
In some ways I have an idealistic view of the world. I believe things can and should be better. This means that I get upset, sad, angry, annoyed, pissed off, etc.—about things that I believe are wrong in the world. At the same time, I can be pretty cynical because I do see so much injustice. So when I read about all the bullshit that goes on that I disagree with, I will occasionally post about it and may express how I feel about it. Sometimes this includes ranting. When I express my feelings about something, know that, like any other person, I'm showing you one mood, which is just one aspect of my personality.
What don't you tweet about?
My Twitter account is a personal account. I generally don't tweet about work because I prefer not to mix work stuff with personal stuff. Keeps my life simple. Any work-related questions should go through official channels, rather my personal accounts and websites. :-)
<DRY DISCLAIMER LANGUAGE>All statements and opinions made on my Twitter account are my own and do not represent the views or policies of my employer. If my company has anything to say, it will not be on my Twitter account, but on their official website and other official channels.</DRY DISCLAIMER LANGUAGE>
Although my Twitter account is not for work, I don't post too many details about my personal life because I enjoy having a certain amount of privacy. As is true with everyone using social media, whatever I choose to publish about my personal life is generally a calculated decision. This necessarily means that I am providing an incomplete picture of myself via Twitter and via my blog and via any other sort of public facing interaction. That's just the way things are for anyone who chooses to publish information about their lives on the internet. See again paragraph two of the second question. ;-)
Why should I follow you?
I'm not here to convince anyone to follow me. I'm not on Twitter to accumulate followers. If you're curious about me, about my perspectives, if you'd like to have a conversation with me—those are all valid reasons for following me, but far be it for me to tell anyone why they should or shouldn't follow me.
Except for trolling: if you just want to troll me, don't bother following me. I'm not interested in expending energy on conversing with trolls. If you don't agree with my views, you're not going to win me over to your perspective by arguing with me or restating the same opinion I disagree with in different ways.
Okay, so why are you on Twitter, then?
I created a Twitter account in 2007 because I was curious about the service and what it could develop into. I've seen Twitter evolve from a mere status updater to a means of communication and connection. I'm on Twitter because I want to see what people I follow are up to, what they're interested in, maybe make new friends and contacts, and because I want to learn new things.
Why aren't you following me back?
- You're a spammer.
- You represent a business that I'm not interested in.
- You have a different worldview and we have absolutely nothing else in common.
- Your updates are protected. I can't get an idea of whether I'd be interested in reading your tweets if I can't see 'em. Sorry!
- I don't know enough about you to start following you. Send me some @s. Have some conversations with me, and we'll go from there.
- There just are too many people to follow! I can't possibly follow every single person who follows me. When I remember, I check my @ replies. I do have conversations with people I don't follow, so even if I don't follow you, it doesn't necessarily mean that I don't want to speak to you. So please don't take it personally if I don't follow you, K?
In conclusion...
I hope this FAQ has been informative and helpful. Maybe even entertaining as well. Okay, well, I had fun writing it, anyway. ;-)
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