Twitter is a HUGE network of people and it’s sheer magnitude makes for a lot of new phenoms that weren’t around earlier .One of the more interesting offshoots of tweets is the Re tweet or an RT as it is popularly called .And off late ,a lot has been said and written about thanking for RTs and the various effects it has on one’s time-line. I wanted to think clearly and decide what I want to do about this and here is what I think about thanking tweeps for RTs .Here is my take on this whole issue .
First of all , what is the effect of an RT ? An RT gets you into hitherto unheard places in the complicated twitter network . The people who follow the person who RTs you may not be following you and hence not get to see your tweets , but when you’re RT-ed they do .That takes you tweet into better visibility and the possibility of you getting followed from those networks also goes up . So a simple RT basically works like a network builder . Not only that , RTs build your reputation too , more you get RT-ed , better your reputation on twitter . The popular tweeps are RT-ed very often and by a large number of people . So , in conclusion and RT is a shot in the arm for anyone who is trying to grow on twitter .
Now coming to the topic of this post . When people RT you , what you do is up to you the person . I always thank people who RT me . I do not mind my time-line having tweets that have a list of handles and a thanks message . After all when they are taking me into their network , it is only fair that I return the favor and take them into mine. It is like returning a handshake with one . It also enhances my reputation as an interactive person and not a sermonizer . And in some way , I feel that doing this increases the possibility of me getting RT-ed again . Having said that , there are friends on twitter with whom I am very close and we RT each other without bothering with the formality of thanking one another . But that is more an exception and less a rule in my case .
In summary , I believe that I should tweet people the same way that I want to be tweeted and RTs are worth their weight in gold and need to be respected . Just my 2 cents .
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6 users responded in this post
I agree with you. It is a good idea to thank people if they RT you, especially if it is a first time RT. When you get to know someone well, and you RT each other often, then you might dispense with the “thank you” every now and then.
A thank you goes a long way, it is always great to thank everyone that follows you also.
“tweet people the same way that I want to be tweeted ” – I like that!
I gotta admit – I can be a bit inconsistent with checking Twitter & sometimes I don’t see RTs for a couple of days. I’m also easily distracted. so sometimes I forget to send that “thank you” tweet.
I guess in my defense, I don’t expect to be thanked for my RTs (although I appreciate it), so I guess I’m not breaking that golden rule?
I completely agree with you. Thanking is just being polite. Although I personally don’t think people should have to RT & be thanked, but I like doing it so people can read something that I have taken interest in on top of the normal Tweet. and a thank you for someone who RTs is just being polite in return for them being kind to RT what you had to say (but shouldn’t be seen as mandatory).
Beyond all the selfish motives of entering new networks and becoming more popular I guess simple courtesies are what lubricates interactions. Every act of kindness deserves to be reciprocated. As Emerson said “Life is short, but there is always time enough for courtesy.”
you are right !
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