Scobleizer - Latest Comments in 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

personxx — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 10:11:46 -0000

Some people will just bitch and moan about everything... The solution is quite simple don't use twitter don't use facebook if it irritates you so much that you have to write a web article about it... Use your email then...

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Guest — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:17:48 -0000

YES! Finally someone said what I've been thinking all along. Thank you!!

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Alaa Ali — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:39:58 -0000

nice one

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Keke — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:02:46 -0000

Hells Yeah!

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Sandeep Bali — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:05:12 -0000

Look at this site.. who says you can't make a GREAT site with a simple layout... :P ....Kudos

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

ablackanimal — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:04:27 -0000

If you are tired of facebook but want a way to connect with artists and musicians
then you should check out www.putiton.com
If you are tired of facebook but still want to connect with your friends then pick up the phone...

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Micah Foster — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:50:53 -0000

I like it. But then again, I only DM with people that I would txt, so it's virtually the same thing, just with a 140 limit.

If I were in your shoes, I probably wouldn't like it so much.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Christopher Wellbelove — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:49:26 -0000

I often find direct messages ages after they were sent. I don't mind messages on Facebook though as I find this easier to manage than my email in boxes - mainly because of the volume is currently more manageable.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Lindsay Davies — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:44:29 -0000

I agree with a lot of the comments above that different technologies should be used for different things - email, facebook and twitter.

But also that the use or misuse of DM is annoying for people with a lot of followers. As such can appreciate some of your points and reason for request for email or open tweets. Perhaps also request a polite 'No DMs' in your bio so that new followers get the message or get reminded of this post and don't DM?

So... the No Direct Mail notices make their way from the letterbox to social media channels. DM really has had a bad rap over the years!

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Joe Phrackr — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:33:24 -0000

I have been using peekamo.com. Its mobile based but find that its much easier to use than DM and have been in conversation with the guys there and they tell me all the features you are talking about will be implement there within the next few weeks.

If anyone is interested checked it out. It's http://peekamo.com, and they always appreciate feedback and actually listen.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

danica radovanovic — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:47:43 -0000

Not only that I don't like Twitter's DM's and Facebook mssgs for the all technical annoyances mentioned above, but the major factor I found here /chez moi/ is non-technical.
I find very rude and indecent (call it netiquette) if someone on Facebook sends me a message (and I have lot of them unread) and on my web site on several places there is 'contact' page with email. Academic people usually send email directly, the others send messages - I wonder if people read 'contact', or notifications for sending email, or they are just idle and it's easier to spam you on FB?

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Ching — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 08:34:30 -0000

Sounds like enhancements are needed. Twitter? Facebook? Are you listening?

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Chris Bird — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:25:51 -0000

We have so many avenues of communication it is hard to know which to use when. For example if I see an event advertised on Twitter by someone whom I follow, then I am likely to DM him/her for details. Why? It's rude to @respond because no one else is interested, I don't have another way of contacting you, the context is reasonable, so it is another string to my communication bow.

DMs as replacement for IM are certainly messed up. We tend to be more selective about our IM buddies, so would expect to have richer conversations on IM. So no substitute there.

DMs as replacement for email - well sometimes the context is in the DM thread so the communication should be there.

But in general DM (and the whole of Twitter) is a very weak 2-way medium. It is actually a pretty weak one-way medium since the communication space is flat. It depends on the level of intimacy one has with the tweeter (twitterer). It's like getting the Christmas letter that goes to everyone. I don't care about Uncle Albert's gout, but someone on the recipient list probably does.....

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Jordan Frank — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:40:17 -0000

The only good reason for DM in Twitter and Facebook is to protect you from showing your e-mail address -- or, as I have discovered, as a means to draw you into Twitter to get an account for the sole purpose of reaching out to someone who will only allow you to contact them via Twitter. So, the Twitter folk or the Twitter die-hards are using DM to perpetuate their social network, rather than to as a good design decision.

The right way to build the feature is simply to offer an option: DM to Twitter account or use a Twitter form to send an e-mail (including actual reply address) directly to your Gmail (or other preferred location)

Twitter is great for many things, but the benefits of short messages, follows and DMs run into a wall in many cases, like this. My twitter network is negligible and its already impossible to parse through the messages I get on my feed in any useful way.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Jonathan Munk — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:07:28 -0000

I was actually about to start doing more of this until I read this post. As a new Twitterer, thank you for not allowing myself to turn into a personal spammer!

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Nando — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:55:31 -0000

You hate DM because you chose to ignore Twitter's spirit, which is simplicity and chronology, and want it to be more a kind of business email-like app full of features.

What I would like you to consider before flaming against DM and Twitter.

1. Why "having the ability to delete them all" has to do with read them or ignore them all? I really didn't understand this argument.

2. Folders is more for email. Twitter is not an Exchange plugin or a Blackberry feature. Plus: priority on Twitter is chronology, is WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, so forget about twisting it or making another priority. The DM that just arrived is the priority.

3. Just what I said: Twitter is not email. Stop trying to make them match in every feature.

4. Again, you're trying to make Twitter DM feature work for your business, but that's not the main purpose of it. Twitter is not for business or conference calls or business meetings. It's not a Project Manager software.

5. Copy your boss? You're joking, right?

6. Asking a question that needs a 500c response it's the questioner's problem. And you can tell that in less 140c. You choose to become frustrated because you want it to be so. Besides, you want to make those 10 reasons, so you just invented this one. I want to tweet a 150c tweet, oh, I'm so frustrated.

7. Actually I agree on this one.

8. Do you know you can choose to be notified by email when you receive a DM, and the DM message will go in it?

9. Again and again, Twitter is not email. Plus, group feature is missing on the whole Twitter and not only in DM feature. Twimc, particularly, I don't want group messaging, it's the kind of complexity that it would start killing what I think Twitter really is. Please, don't be ICQ, Twitter. Don't be Microsoft Project either.

10. Seriously? Email, again?

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Mark — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:58:51 -0000

While I couldn't get through all of your reasons, as I read the first couple I thought of an idea. Why don't Twitter, Facebook or whomever has this similar feature offer an auto-forward function to send the DM to your email. Well wait, it sort of already does this. Include in reply-to the persons email address or a unique reply address that would transcribe your email reply back into the proprietary format of the social network. Eh?

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Steve Sloan — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:41:15 -0000

I like Twitter DM. I can always reply with an e-mail, I do not HAVE to reply with DM. But, I get less than 3 DM's a day. Do you think getting over 4,000+ DM's is a typical case, or an edge case?

(Also, if I have a blog post that gets 3 replies that's a lot, so maybe I am just boring.)

My e-mail backs up way, WAY more that my Twitter DMs.

I like Twitter DM because I am always able to receive them as I am always plugged into Twitter on multiple devices and I can choose to reply in real time or later.

The people I get DM's from are almost always friends.

Steve Sloan

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Christopher Coulter — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:57:39 -0000

I guess that ancient non-hip-Web 2.0-thing called "email" still has it's uses. But see, any tech fails at your noise volume level -- IM, DM, Tweets, what have you. Nothing will work, no matter how many David Allens you worship.

Just get the broadcasting tools (shaky cell phone cams, FriendFeed and etcc. spewers), all the essential evangelist tools needed to spread the messages, whilst never having to listen (or bother with) the actual flocks.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

PHP Developer — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:49:16 -0000

Solution is simple, delete your Twitter like I did.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Rob Blatt — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:28:04 -0000

Twitter is a simple service. Direct messages are meant as a way to send SMS to someone without having to know their phone number. It's not email. If you think someone asks you a question that requires an email, then ask for an email address.

Twitter is not a GTD application, it's not email, it's not complex in any way shape or form. It's a broadcast platform for 140 character text that has a point to point backchannel, however, it is a text broadcast platform first.

Adding a layer of complexity means adding another reason that my mother won't use it.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

voice of reason — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:43:35 -0000

Wow. A completely free service that a ton of people seem to enjoy, use, and find value in; a free platform that has enabled scobleizer to interact, advertise, and extend its reach to consumers it might otherwise have no connection to. Blogging about this inferior service has given you prime real estate on the home page of techmeme (probably not for the first time), which I clicked to get here. The post has 77 comments so far, plus more have obviously viewed, yet somehow, twitter has made your life hell. Methinks if anything, twitter's existence has increased your relevance ranking on the internets. Without them, your voice would be muted. Twitter provides both megaphone and hearing aid, and for one who's business is pretty much talking, I see twitter as an awesome utility for aspiring scobles everywhere. Peace out!

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Johnny — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:08:33 -0000

Twitter as a whole is useless.

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Phil — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:31:04 -0000

Without direct messages apps like @trackthis would be less useful

Re: 10 reasons why Twitter Direct Messages suck (and so do Facebook’s)

Brandon Paddock — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:10:53 -0000

Completely agree about Twitter's useless DM feature.

But Facebook's I actually use, generally for quick personal correspondence that I don't care about archiving or finding later.

I think Facebook's works better for me for several reasons:
1) I don't approve any Facebook requests from people I don't actually know, and I try to keep my Facebook circle of friends fairly small (I have "only" 306).

2) Facebook messages come to my cell phone via SMS. Basically nothing else does except a direct SMS or tweets from a select few people I used to work with.

3) There are lots of people for whom the only e-mail address I have is a work one, and I generally prefer to send them an FB message (that until recently at least would tend to show up in their personal e-mail) instead of an actual e-mail.