Word Twitches, Community Conversations

Yesterday morning a conversation grew and grew, on Twitter and over to Facebook.

And while the actual topic was interesting, what was also neat was watching the two sets of interaction and the differences between them.

In particular, Facebook makes it easier to have a true community conversation. I started to see friends who don’t know each other “mingling” on my wall. Twitter stayed more as a back-and-forth dialogue.

Also, the use of language is slightly, but perceptibly, different. Most tweets are more like SMS- or IM-style, whereas most wall posts are more like mini-emails.

Interesting implications – for when you need information, for when you just want to chat, and for when you are using either channel.

One, speak the language. And two, expect what you’re likely to get.

The Twitter convo:

sarahmorgan: Just saw “exasperate” used instead of “exacerbate”. Grammar mistakes get me twitchy.
stmhoward: @sarahmorgan  can you be more “pacific”? smile
sarahmorgan: @stmhoward Oooh yes, that one too. Awful!!
sarahmorgan: What mistake with words always makes YOU twitch? (Mine is “exasperate” instead of “exacerbate”. @stmhoward’s is “pacific” vs. “specific”.)
DeenaEsq: @sarahmorgan The one that drives me nuts is people who don’t know the difference between its and it’s. Even other attys make the mistake.
hkremer: @sarahmorgan ugh, those both make me cringe! I wrote on a post-it for my Dad once “exacerbate” so he could see it right. Pacific = ocean lol
CiaoLaura: @sarahmorgan “expresso” instead of “espresso” and “libary” instead of “library”
shoot_the_moon: @sarahmorgan I have a coworker who always uses “even SO” when she means “even THOUGH” GAH!!!!!!!!!
AlcoveDesign: @sarahmorgan misuse of your and you’re, it’s and its.
sawinkler: @sarahmorgan “flush out” instead of “flesh out.”
impressmedia: @sarahmorgan “should of” instead of “should have” makes me crazy.my sis does it all the time! tried 2 correct her 1x & she was like WHATEV!
neilcrump: @jkblacker @sarahmorgan  – I get complement and compliment wrong over and over again – it is the bane of my career
carlenlea: @sarahmorgan my favorite recent one is “prostrate” when they mean “prostate”

The Facebook convo:

Sarah Morgan is collecting: what word mistake do you hate most? Today, mine’s “exasperate” instead of “exacerbate”.
Armando: Ax as oppesed to ASK
Sarah: irregardless
Patti: accommodation with one “m”. “Monetize” as if it was a real word. :-D
Pete: ‘hello’ instead of ‘please don’t talk to me.’. ;)
Maureen: Orientate or orientator
Grace: For some reason, a lot of people have started to say ‘impornant’ for ‘important.’ Can’t figure out the attraction. Maybe that first ‘t’ is just too hard to get to?
Alanna: id-er instead of idea. WHY?
Doug: A classic: “was” where “were” should be. (sorry, Patti)
Patti: hahahahahahahahahahah!
Kerry: the saying… “she don’t get it”… straight out of Oklahoma.
Brenda: “Liberry” instead of “library”
Kathy: “fool” instead of Mommy. My son is going through this FOOL stage, he calls everyone a fool.
Elizabeth: Saying “Nuculer” instead of “nuclear”
Sue: sammich instead of sandwich
Kat: using accept and except in the wrong context
Heather: I am in ‘agreeance’ with all of the above.
Erin: Loose as a verb.
Kristi: “pitcher” for “picture” – CAN’T STAND IT.
Alanna: oh yeah, i forgot “addicting” for “addictive.” shudder.
Jeff: Saying “Appalachia” instead of “Argentina.”
Kristi: Jeff wins!
Heather: Mute instead of moot. Also, irregardless drives me crazy. But Kristi is right-Jeff wins!
Angela: Disinterested and uninterested used in the wrong context.
Therese: Around here they say ‘libary’ Drives me nuts!! Library!!
Maria: “Supposably” instead of “supposedly”. I blame “Friends” for this one. And, I have to agree with “irregardless”.
Maria: Um. In my hunt for the clip for the above mentioned “supposably”, I found out that it is, indeed, a word. I don’t care. I still hate it.
Ann: Principle instead of principal
Robert: I cringe when I hear Ax instead of Ask. If someone says, “Can I ax you a question?” I cover my head and face with my hands and scream, “Don’t ax me!” I also dislike perfuciously instead of profusely and masonary instead of masonry.