I’ve had it up to here with Twitter. This is not an in-depth article about the perils of social media. It’s just a simple statement of fact. I’ve had it up to here with Twitter.
I could list the many reasons why I’m bored with it right now. People coming into your mentions and explaining your own jokes back to you is a big one. People piping up with the ludicrously obvious take, when you’ve tried your hardest to tweet something more interesting, is another.1 The constant stream of unpleasant news is a third. I know the world’s going to shit, I am literally paid to put news bulletins on air, and monitor them closely. I don’t need to be told all this stuff in my free time as well. It’s just too much to cope with.
Then there’s the thing which pushed me entirely over the edge yesterday: making a crap joke about “nations and regions” in terms of television playout, only for someone who doesn’t even follow me to pipe up with some nebulous political point against me. And when I tried to politely explain I’m talking about something technical rather than anything wider, they block me. I got enough of this kind of aggressive, bad faith shit in the playground when I was 12. Right now, I don’t feel like willingly putting myself through it as an adult. I am bored of other people making their neuroses my business.
So for now, I’m deactivated.
Of course, it won’t last. I’ve not stormed off for good. Lots of people who I really like talking to, I only actually know on Twitter. And speaking entirely selfishly, Twitter is where I get the vast majority of hits for Dirty Feed from.2 At some point I’ll be back, like a dog eating its own fetid puke. But the longer I can take a break from it, the better for my mental health. So if you wondered where I’d got to, there’s your answer. I’m just trying to do something more useful for a bit.
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Still, I can’t post an article here which is just me ranting about Twitter. Let’s do something fun as well.
Recently, I read about a game called Five Nice Things. It doesn’t need a great deal of explanation, the clue is in the name: list five nice things in your life that you’re grateful for right now. The original post calls it “a bit sappy”, and it is a little too sappy for me. So let’s adapt it slightly: here’s five things I’m working on for Dirty Feed, well away from Twitter, which are giving me a certain amount of joy.
1) Do tape numbers and old sitcoms get you all excited? Here, have a list of spools used in the production of The Young Ones episode “Bambi”:
(Yes, I am still working in my Young Ones Music Guide for Series 2, after my Series 1 guide went down a treat. Sorry for the delay. Hopefully it’ll be published before the end of the year.)
2) Would you like to hear the very first jingle ever played on Radio 1 in 1967, followed by a version sung for Dirty Feed this year? Of course you would:
This will hopefully be used in an audio project coming early next year. Speaking of which:
3) Do you fancy a German cover of “Leader of the Pack”? I’m afraid you are not allowed to say no:
4) I’ll simply let the pictures do the talking here:
Cor.
5) And finally, if you love both Animal Crossing and the BBC Micro game Repton, then this should bring a warm glow to your heart:
God, that felt nice. Altogether more wholesome than arguing with dickheads on Twitter.