This post is dedicated to everyone who has ever thanked anyone for an RT (retweet.) I used to do it, but don’t anymore. Here’s why –

1) Clutter. I talk enough here for most streams.

2) I don’t understand why people thank others for passing along information.

I’m a fairly nice guy. So part of me wants to follow the general rules of etiquette and do the polite thing. After all, I’m a writer. It’s my nature to reciprocate (see #1 above.)

I recently saw someone tweet about www.retweetrank.com. Curious, I went to the site and queried my own twitter handle (no password needed, by the way). Turns out I’m like in the top few percent in retweets (yes, I was as shocked as you are.) Anyway, knowing this, how could I possibly thank everyone who has ever retweeted me? If If you think I look like a jerk for not thanking people, imagine thanking only *some* people. Please know that I do really appreciate that people think some of the things I share here are worth sharing with others. I’m totally grateful for that. Who wouldn’t be?

But I still don’t get the public thanking thing. If anything, the person RTing you is thanking YOU for passing the information along to them so they can share it with others, right? In which case, the appropriate response to someone who RTs you *should* be, ‘You’re welcome.’

Anyway, if you’ve ever RTd me, thanks. And you’re welcome.

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Jim Mitchem

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The Parable of Social Media

Jim Mitchem

Writer. Father to daughters. Husband. Ad man. Raised by wolves. @jmitchem on twitter. First novel, Minor King, out now.

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