James Lileks’ Definition of Twitter

 

I was getting caught up on the National Review over lunch, when I read this gem from @jameslileks‘ “Athwart” column (taken slightly out of context):

“Twitter—which is basically a hornet’s nest that flies around looking for sticks to run into”

I don’t know if he thought of it himself (I bet he did), but it’s the best description I’ve run across . . .

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  1. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Very good

    • #1
  2. colleenb Member
    colleenb
    @colleenb

    I think this will be promoted to the Main Feed Stad. Maybe even be James Lileks’ Post of the Week! (Wink.)

    • #2
  3. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    This makes me wax nostalgic for President Donald Trump.

    • #3
  4. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    • #4
  5. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    I can rip out the articles I don’t care to read and still find many gems in NR, Lileks and Long alone are worth a subscription. He hit it out of the park with that one. I am still catching up on back issues and hadn’t seen that

    • #5
  6. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    Twitter is a form of group therapy to help people recover from sanity, constructive exchanges, and mutual respect.  It is an ongoing meeting of A$$holes Unanimous.

    • #6
  7. Douglas Pratt Coolidge
    Douglas Pratt
    @DouglasPratt

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    That just shows how deeply ingrained is your way with words. If I were a serious writer I would be jealous; as a retired editor, I wish I could have worked with you at some point.

    • #7
  8. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    I started writing a new book today.  Can’t remember what I wrote either.  I blame alcohol and old age . . .

    • #8
  9. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    colleenb (View Comment):

    I think this will be promoted to the Main Feed Stad. Maybe even be James Lileks’ Post of the Week! (Wink.)

    Definitely not Post of Week.  It’s too short, and someone else wrote the good part of it!

    • #9
  10. Brandon Member
    Brandon
    @Brandon

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    With apologies, Mr. @jameslileks I beat you to the punch last July:

    Social media creators fancied their platforms as the precursors to the hive mind, a fluid, seamless world where the collective creativity of humanity would pulse in harmonic syncopation. What we have found instead is that our particular hive is full of angry bees with an endless supply of venom and precious little harmony. The result is a fragment society populated by fragmented people. We live one life in the physical world, the benign day to existence that humans have, more less, lived for thousands of years. Then we sit down at a keyboard, and Dr. Jekyll gives way to Mr. Hyde with alarming ease. Social media is a world populated with people masquerading as objects, where real lives are harmed through fake conversation. Our current state of turmoil is a byproduct of the schism between our two universes. Our doppelgangers live in a alternate universe where mass produced half-truths are easily transmitted and relayed back to the real world and the consequences are dire.

    • #10
  11. Douglas Pratt Coolidge
    Douglas Pratt
    @DouglasPratt

    Brandon (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    With apologies, Mr. @ jameslileks I beat you to the punch last July:

    Social media creators fancied their platforms as the precursors to the hive mind, a fluid, seamless world where the collective creativity of humanity would pulse in harmonic syncopation. What we have found instead is that our particular hive is full of angry bees with an endless supply of venom and precious little harmony. The result is a fragment society populated by fragmented people. We live one life in the physical world, the benign day to existence that humans have, more less, lived for thousands of years. Then we sit down at a keyboard, and Dr. Jekyll gives way to Mr. Hyde with alarming ease. Social media is a world populated with people masquerading as objects, where real lives are harmed through fake conversation. Our current state of turmoil is a byproduct of the schism between our two universes. Our doppelgangers live in a alternate universe where mass produced half-truths are easily transmitted and relayed back to the real world and the consequences are dire.

    We used to discuss this very phenomenon back in the old CompuServe days, when computers were steam powered. Are you old enough to remember Disney’s Goofy cartoon about road rage, involving Mr. Walker turning into Mr. Wheeler? The Jekyll/Hyde thing seems to be a human trait that coalesces around a popular medium, like cars, computer networks, and anonymous letters to the editor.

    • #11
  12. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Brandon (View Comment):

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Always a bit jarring to be reminded of things I have no recollection of having written. ;)

    With apologies, Mr. @ jameslileks I beat you to the punch last July:

    Social media creators fancied their platforms as the precursors to the hive mind, a fluid, seamless world where the collective creativity of humanity would pulse in harmonic syncopation. What we have found instead is that our particular hive is full of angry bees with an endless supply of venom and precious little harmony. The result is a fragment society populated by fragmented people. We live one life in the physical world, the benign day to existence that humans have, more less, lived for thousands of years. Then we sit down at a keyboard, and Dr. Jekyll gives way to Mr. Hyde with alarming ease. Social media is a world populated with people masquerading as objects, where real lives are harmed through fake conversation. Our current state of turmoil is a byproduct of the schism between our two universes. Our doppelgangers live in a alternate universe where mass produced half-truths are easily transmitted and relayed back to the real world and the consequences are dire.

    Ahhh, but James’ version includes the idea that the hive is actively looking to be provoked . . .

    • #12
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