Twitter Have Ditched the Egg Because of its Association with Trolling
 |
| Extra Crispy |
People who dole out abuse on Twitter tend to do everything they can to avoid getting caught, and if they do get caught, and banned, they have backup accounts to keep the hate flowing. These accounts are spartan, with barely any followers and nothing to suggest who the person operating them is. For this reason, there are a lot of rotten eggs out there. Twitter have decided that the association between the egg and the trolling is too strong, so they've gotten rid of it.
Sadly this freezes out a whole subset of users who kept the egg as their profile image simply because they liked it. With this replacement though, the idea is to encourage users to upload their own image, something which hasn't ever been heavily encouraged on Twitter before. It will also make the default image look more like a red flag, either for a troll or a bot.
The timing of this change wasn't exactly ideal on Twitter's part. Owing to the time difference, many users caught the news on April 1st, leading them to believe it was an April fools gag (albeit not a very good one). Meanwhile, some of the people who took it at face value criticised Twitter for either making an ill-judged call, wasting time, or both.
Many members of the egg fan-club have actually saved their egg so that they can carry on using it, which makes me wonder if trolls will start doing the same thing, but in any case it's relatively minor strike against Twitter abuse, and it makes you wonder how much the company are actually looking at the bigger picture. It's all well and good trying to escape negative associations, but the best way to do that is to actually stomp out the thing that raised them in the first place.
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @Songbird_Callum
Contact us on Twitter, on Facebook, or leave your comments below. To find out about social media training or management why not take a look at our website for more info: TheSMFGroup.com
Twitter Have Ditched the Egg Because of its Association with Trolling
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Wednesday, April 05, 2017
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.