Teach an Old Man how to use "@" in Twitter and Facebook

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

So ... I think on Twitter you use @ to tag people in your tweets.

"At the concert with @Joe Blow"
So Joe Blow will be notified that I mentioned him.

But I've also seen people on Facebook, in a thread, use "@" to seemingly just speak directly to someone.
"@ Joe Blow that's hilarious."
Which seems no easier than typing a "," after the name as one would in, oh I don't know, English.
"Joe Blow, that's hilarious."

Or is Facebook tagging names to. Come to think of it I have received "you've been tagged in a note by" notifications, but I don't think I see "@" when I go to those notes, which leads me to think that note tagging on FB os a separate process and people are just using "@" to direct address each other.

hmmm ...

 

[Gary Huff]

Sometimes people use Twitter to update their Facebook status (I do), so that would account for why you see "Twitterspeak" in Facebook as well.

But I think you pretty much have the right idea already.

 

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

Yeah, I update my status on FB via Twitter when I have a big announcement - makes me feel less spammy, since it's one post essentially.

But are people commenting on Facebook threads via Twitter? You know someone posts a picture on FB, there are 6 comments, someone comments on one of the comments and uses "@" to talk to the person they're commenting on. I didn't think that was being updated via twitter.

 

[Dingos8mybaby]

For example:

@ JDS: Since there are multiple people posting in this thread, I wanted to direct this comment specifically "at" you. I think you already get it, man.

It's kinda like "To the OP ...", at least in the case where there are multiple persons/comments about something and you need to single one out that was 2, 3, 4,..., 20 posts above yours.

I call it "INGLISH" - InterNet Grammar Leading to Inadequate Speaking Habits.

Other examples include:

- Shorthand for EVERYthing, even speaking in real life with real people and writing essays/letters ("Ill cya 2nite @ *$, abt 8. 143" means "I'll see you tonight at Starbucks, around 8pm. I love you." ... I know, I just don't get it either. It's like WTF? They're trading clarity and comprehension for... brevity and bad habits?)

- Interweb Meme references ("Don Quixote is like the Star Wars kid...")

- Grammatical errors (that read correctly to the writer) from NATIVE English speakers ("I was "wanting" to buy this thing right now", "Essentially, this characteristic is an inherent trait that is part of this things essence", "I would of like to of gone to the game but my doctor said it would of incapacitated my ankle")

- 1337-speak, AKA intentional spelling mistakes, AKA Jabberwocky without the charm or wit.

- When someone thinks the opposite of 'Professional' is 'NOOB'

It will be a sad day when the QWERTY layout is replaced with a L337 layout and any semblance of a standard English morphology goes with it.

There are a lot more examples, but I'm not going to get into them. It would of took 4ever to write dem all!!!!!111!!1one!!1

 

[Jack Daniel Stanley]

For example:

@ JDS: Since there are multiple people posting in this thread, I wanted to direct this comment specifically "at" you. I think you already get it, man.
...

Yeah the thing that had me scratching my head though, is what's easier about:

@JDS: since there are ...

Vs:

JDS, since thre are ...

I guess the answer is the @JDS is cooler and hipper rogar-SunGlass(DBG

 

[Hawk Teflon]

And I believe on FB, if you're seeing @John Doe, and John has a private account, then it will just say @John Doe instead of attaching a link. Maybe it's if you're just not friends.

 

[Nitsuj]

My first PC was an Apple II GS, I was an IT guy for years, and I know my way around the net nicely but I still have a hard time figuring out why twitter is such a hit. It's not easy to grasp but it makes sense the more you look at it. Kind of like those 3D posters you have to stare at for a half hour before you can actually see the dinosaur leaping out at you. You will figure it out the more you look at it. That is the only advice I can give to people that ask me about it. Oh and I still can't see that dinosaur yet.

 

[Voytech]

For example:[...]

- Grammatical errors (that read correctly to the writer) from NATIVE English speakers ("I was "wanting" to buy this thing right now", "Essentially, this characteristic is an inherent trait that is part of this things essence", "I would of like to of gone to the game but my doctor said it would of incapacitated my ankle")[...]

My personal pet peeve. Ugh!