Like any new communications technology, Twitter has its own shorthand. Some terms piggyback off of older technologies, some re-define pre-existing words. Here’s a quick guide to TwitterSpeak and etiquette:
Monthly Archives: April 2009
Update: Amazon Glitch Or Malicious Prank?
More on the #AmazonFail fiasco from the weekend. Andrea James (Seattle) quotes Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener: “This is an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error…”
#AmazonFail : Why Did Amazon.com Delist Gay, Lesbian Books?
I can tell I’ve been out of PR for a while. My spidy sense did not kick in when I made my first #amazonfail tweet about 4 pm Pacific. About an hour later, I realized that #amazonfail had passed a tipping point. A Twitter search on #amazonfail revealed that the 100th page of the search only went back in time for one hour!
This meme is far more viral than Motrin or Skittles for two (probable) reasons: there are more people in the Twitterverse and the topic is far more substantive: mucking around with sales rank lists is not acceptable, given that this data point plays into Amazon’s recommendation engine.
Clearly, whomever authorized this policy clearly did not think it through. Amazon is not a parent or an editor making judgments. This is far worse than complying with German law about Hitler, for example. [Note: I own stock.]
Sunday Linkage
Highlights from reading Sunday NYTimes and Seattle Times (the dead-tree versions). In no particular order (so sue me!):
Community Journalism In Transition
Presentation today for Sound Publishing (pdf)
