# Some Twitter questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 22, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074 "2010-08-22T15:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/1 "2010-08-22T15:52:20Z")
So I’m fairly new on Twitter and I was wondering–if someone you’re following (who is not following you back) tweets something you want to reply to, if you tweet a reply to them, do they actually get it? Or does an “exchange” occur only if they are your follower? I see all these celebrities respond to what I presume are ordinary people, so I’m inclined to think that’s maybe the case, but then I can also imagine that if it were, they’d be so overwhelmed with random tweets from strangers 24/7 that it’d be overwhelming. Also, I ran into a strange situation where I tweeted something and it posted on my Home page. But if you went to my individual profile, it was missing. It was actually one that I wanted to save, so I had to scroll down in Home and Favorite it, so now it’s in my Favorites (proof that it actually happened), but if you click on my profile that lists my individual tweets, it’s not listed there. Weird. 😕 (and this was a normal tweet, not a reply or retweet). Thanks for helping the newbie! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/2 "2010-08-22T16:06:27Z")
If you click on @(YourUsername) it will bring up a screen that shows every message sent @ you whether you’ve friended them or not, and TweetDeck has a column for just those. As for the missing tweet, not sure… I was going to ask if you went to your Home screen instead of Profile but from the rest I see that’s not the case so I can’t help you there… ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/3 "2010-08-22T18:16:50Z")
If you are following the tweets of a celebrity, it actually may not be the celebrity you think is tweeting. Two reasons: There are twitter-squatters, who open an account in a famous person’s name. Some celebrities hire somebody, a twitterary, to handle their tweeting for them. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/4 "2010-08-22T18:24:42Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > So I’m fairly new on Twitter and I was wondering–if someone you’re following (who is not following you back) tweets something you want to reply to, if you tweet a reply to them, do they actually get it? It is possible to see every @reply sent to your username, whether it’s written by someone you follow or by a stranger. > [@](#): > > I see all these celebrities respond to what I presume are ordinary people, so I’m inclined to think that’s maybe the case, but then I can also imagine that if it were, they’d be so overwhelmed with random tweets from strangers 24/7 that it’d be overwhelming. They reply to the things that catch their eye, same as anyone else. Some celebs absolutely do not interact while others not only interact, but if you interest them, they’ll start following you. (Though it’s more the “minor” celebs who cultivate their followers as conversation partners, sometimes you’ll be surprised by someone on the level of Russell Crowe, for example, answering a question you shoot his way. He answered mine. :)) It also becomes really easy to tell after a while if it’s really the person tweeting or if its their PR person or if its a mix of the two, and if it’s a personal twitter or if its a promotional thing. > [@](#): > > Also, I ran into a strange situation where I tweeted something and it posted on my Home page. But if you went to my individual profile, it was missing. The Twitter servers sometimes act as though they’re held together with gum and paper clips. Tweets go missing altogether. On Friday night, no one was seeing their @replies for about four hours. It happens. It’s nothing you’ve done. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/5 "2010-08-22T18:38:10Z")
Indeed, tweets do often go missing. Or sometimes when I’ll click on my retweeted tweets, it’ll show stuff from months ago with more recent retweets just being blank. Twitter can be a bit finnicky but I still like it. Hopefully the bugs will get ironed out at some point. Though I do enjoy seeing the Twitter whale when it goes down. (Why a whale and not a bird? Who knows?!) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/6 "2010-08-23T15:05:17Z")
Here is another twitter question, sometimes when I mouse-over a name, a small pop-up windows appears with more information about the person. I haven’t figured out how to make that pop-up window go away quickly. Sometimes it goes away quickly, sometimes it stays there for 30 seconds or longer. Any help? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/7 "2010-08-23T15:40:07Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > (Though it’s more the “minor” celebs who cultivate their followers as conversation partners, sometimes you’ll be surprised by someone on the level of Russell Crowe, for example, answering a question you shoot his way. He answered mine. :)) Russell Crowe is surprisingly chatty on Twitter. It’s definitely him too, you can tell when he’s had a few beers. > [@](#): > > The Twitter servers sometimes act as though they’re held together with gum and paper clips. 😛 sometimes it seems like it’s all run on an old 386 machine in someone’s garage. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/8 "2010-08-23T16:17:22Z")
I always wonder, is it really the celeb or do they hire some social media assistant? I hope it’s really John Stamos and Bob Saget–especially when they tweet weird Full House stuff. I also hope R.L. Stine tweets for himself. I kind of like that image. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/9 "2010-08-23T17:37:23Z")
I can guarantee that Ebert is really on twitter and will reply if you send him something useful/interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/10 "2010-08-23T17:38:33Z")
Oh, and so is Andy Roddick, the tennis player. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/11 "2010-08-24T07:38:49Z")
Celebrities on Twitter could be a thread unto itself. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/12 "2010-08-27T18:52:34Z")
Thanks everyone! Another question: I notice that some people RT other tweets, but add their own little text first. However, when I try to RT, it does so automatically without giving the option of a preface or header “edit” beforehand. Is what I’m seeing other people simply a cut-n-paste job, or am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/13 "2010-08-27T19:45:11Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Thanks everyone! Another question: > > I notice that some people RT other tweets, but add their own little text first. However, when I try to RT, it does so automatically without giving the option of a preface or header “edit” beforehand. Is what I’m seeing other people simply a cut-n-paste job, or am I missing something? I’ve used a couple of different twitter clients, and I’ve never found an option to edit a RT. I usually just cut’n’paste. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/14 "2010-08-27T19:48:50Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > I’ve used a couple of different twitter clients, and I’ve never found an option to edit a RT. I usually just cut’n’paste. Seesmic for Android has that option. They do have web & desktop clients. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/15 "2010-08-27T19:54:34Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > > > I’ve used a couple of different twitter clients, and I’ve never found an option to edit a RT. I usually just cut’n’paste. > > Seesmic for Android has that option. They do have web & desktop clients. It does? :smack: I use Seesmic desktop and on my phone. How do you do it? ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/16 "2010-08-27T20:06:54Z")
Seeismic has the option to quote, which allows edit and uses the RT format. I haven’t been on the Twitter site in a long time but I thought they had the RT/Quote option. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/17 "2010-08-27T20:20:28Z")
> [@Greenback](#): > > Seeismic has the option to quote, which allows edit and uses the RT format. I haven’t been on the Twitter site in a long time but I thought they had the RT/Quote option. Ah, right. That produces an editable tweet in the format: > [@](#): > > “A poop is coming out” -@OprahWinfrey Most often though I see this format: > [@](#): > > _Edited in text_ RT @OprahWinfrey A poop is coming out Presumably this latter format is just done manually? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/18 "2010-10-04T16:54:10Z")
OK, another question–how do you determine what is a Twitter “meme”? By this, I mean the little tags that are preceded by a “#” and link to other posts that have the same meme. Examples: #sickandsad, #liesyoushouldntfallfor, #FML, #TDL, #teamvick (these all popped up in a tweet I received sometime in the last day or so) So how do you find out what these are? I tried in the search window, but unless you get the exact phrasing right, it won’t pop up. I would think there would be some type of glossary that would itemize all the different memes that are common currency within twitter, but maybe that’s just my old-fashioned 20th century mindset. 😉 So, any ideas or suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/19 "2010-10-05T00:25:05Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I always wonder, is it really the celeb or do they hire some social media assistant? I hope it’s really John Stamos and Bob Saget–especially when they tweet weird Full House stuff. > > I also hope R.L. Stine tweets for himself. I kind of like that image. In general, promotion style tweats are done by an assistant, while ones that sound like normal conversation are by the celebrity themselves, even if they had an assistant actually shorten and type it. Either that, or they are completely lying in all the interviews. I think it’d be easier than having to be briefed on what you supposedly said. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074/20 "2010-10-06T20:17:40Z")
Bump to my ? in Post #18 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-twitter-questions/551074.md?page=2)