Twitterverse in Singapore is just ...

Things had change. And the single word that best describe the situation now starts with D and Ends with a G.

Anybody in for a game for hanging with friends ? D I _ _ _ _ _ I _ G. Yes, D I S G U S T I N G.

Things started slow for local Social Media scene I suppose and I shall not say that I am a pioneer but I can easily say that I am one of those who jump onto the bandwagon a little wee bit earlier than the mass. And what puts me off recently is that the Twitterverse is lacking of love. Lack of this little bit of 人情味 as compared to maybe two years back.

Back than Twitter is like a little kampong to me where everyone tries to make friends with one and other and follows one and other, we help each other by RT-ing important tweets, showing support when one is down, meeting up for random dinners, showering each other with #FF / #FollowFriday.

Today, Twitter is like a developed country where everyone is for themselves and trying to create controversy and trying to get more followers yourself and it once again become another big rat race. People are using tricks to get followers, enabling bots to do auto tweets, trying to have more followers than following, trying to get free deals, putting hashtags all over to get the attention, only attending events with exclusive invitation and maybe even putting others down to make oneself look good. More and more bloggers spotted on twitter using it as a form of branding/advertising, spamming nothing but their own blog or related tweets, worst still, influential bloggers using it as a tool of cyber bullying ganging up the others and maybe a lot of brand jumping onto the bandwagon and talks about their promotion and get 5,000 or more followers within the first 3 months and than gone mum after that because contract ends with the agency.

I ask you people.

WHERE IS THE LOVE  ? 


The golden rule to me of social media is that it is not like(or rather not supposed to be) traditional media where it is a one sided media. Social Media is form in a unique manner by two words. "Social" and the other word is "Media". The word "Social" comes before the word "Media" for a simple reason, it's Social that brings the word out, it's Social, it's Love that make things go round. 


What went wrong? Is it because when the "country" got bigger and things just get harder to manage? Is it because how community managers and brand managers has shaped the society to become as such? Is it because local media is giving social media too much attention? No, I take the last question back, our country IS giving social media TOO MUCH, WAY TOO MUCH attention. I do know that listening to feedback is important but going through tweets and facebook comment on national TV is just too much. Every possible prints or TVC comes with a "Follow Us" or "Find Us On", FUCKING GOD DAMN IT, KNOW WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE DOING AND STOP JUMPING ON AND DOING IT FOR THE FUCK OF IT. 


Fine, social media spaces are still shaping itself as the time goes by and we are suppose to be able to accept the changes for how it is but I seriously ain't enjoying where this shape is going. It's no rocket science and I can foresee what it is going to be like down the road. There is no right or wrong of how you use each tools, it's always about the perception and where you are standing and watching. As for now, I do not like what I am seeing from where I am standing. Although I am a marketing person, although I do lavish on social media as a source for my work but I do hope to see the glory days where it's love we are showing. That is almost a lil impossible for now and the least I could pray for is it does not go any further into the ashtray. 


No, I do not need 20,000 followers, all I want are friends. No, You do not need 20,000 followers cause your tweets stinks. 


Mr.Smith, very very disappointed ...