Thread by @keikoinboston

1. I don’t think Ezra Klein’s advice to #NeverTweet is particularly helpful, so here’s some advice for how to lessen the chances your tweets will be taken out of context. Remember that communication is a two-way street.

2. You REALLY shouldn’t feed the trolls, but if you do, make sure you screenshot & archive their tweet via archive.is so there’s a record of what exactly you’re responding to. Include the screenshot & archive.is link when you respond.

3. Learn to thread properly. If your thoughts are part of a thread, don’t tweet them individually.

- Reply to each tweet consecutively (Don’t reply only to the first tweet. I made this mistake in the beginning).
- Number your tweets

4. Learn how to use emojis 😂 😳 😬 😉 😕 😒 🤦🏻‍♀️ and hashtags like #sarcasm or #satire or #justkidding if you’re tweeting something that could be misconstrued.

5. Alternately, simply state that you don’t actually agree with the thing that you’re saying.

https://twitter.com/keikoinboston/status/1027335923200131077

6. Don’t tweet blanket statements about groups. Always use qualifiers: “many cats”, “some dogs”, “ugly ducks”. Never talk about “all Klingons”.

7. If you’ve made a mistake, delete your original tweet and apologize. If you want to be extra transparent, screenshot your original tweet and include with apology. This is especially important for journalists. Deleting original prevents retweets without correction.

8. As a reader, don’t always jump to the conclusion that the writer was tweeting in bad faith. Consider that there may be cultural or linguistic context you are missing. Look at the rest of their timeline to get a sense of how they tweet. If they’re a jackass, you’ll know.

9. See if you can educate yourself by Googling. (I often look up hashtags or words I’m unfamiliar with.) Or calling a friend. If not, ask the person what they meant. Don’t assume you know what they are thinking. Often, you don’t.

10. If you’re reading this and thinking it’s ridiculous because people should just be able to read your mind, consider:

11.
- Twitter is a global site. Many people here speak English as a 2nd/3rd/4th language. Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to some other cultures and can also be challenging for non-native speakers even if they come from a place with a rich culture of sarcasm/satire.

12.
- What’s “obvious” to a neurotypical person may not be obvious to a neurodivergent person.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotypi…

13. Assuming that everyone should be able to intuit your meaning is both ableist and culturally supremacist because it assumes the dominance of your lens. People on Twitter come from thousands of different backgrounds. Their understanding of what you say will be informed by that.