I’ve often wondered why people get irritated on social media. Why can’t people just ignore annoying comments?
Last week, however, I became irritated myself. I lurked during a Twitter conversation that touched on my own field of expertise. People took sharp stances, commented sarcastically, sneered humorously — and from my point of view they were completely ignorant.
What to do? Should I try to set them straight? Block the whole gang? Stop using Twitter?
I didn’t do anything.
I didn’t want to explain the basics. I couldn’t find the right tone to intervene. I didn’t want to stop following people on the basis of a single conversation. Leaving Twitter because of its drawbacks is not an option for me. Also, I don’t understand the point of muting people. Blocking I have reserved for spam and fake accounts.
Finally, I decided to mute six hashtags and words. My user experience improved, and maybe the irritation will fade over time. #Argh