twitter social anthropology 2 (unfinished)

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Social Anthropology of Twitter #2:

The Diplomacy of @KerryMP and the Fame of @mathewhulbert

An analysis of human interaction on Twitter demonstrating conflict and friendship, antagonism and affection, goading

and gloating on Twitter emphasising the roles of diplomacy, fairness and humour in building community.

markinreading (Mark Adams)25th June 2009

UNFINIS

HED VERSIO

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The events in this story took place predominantly on the evening on 18th June 2009. The setting is largely UK as some 3.03m people sat down to watch the TV show, “Question Time” broadcast on BBC1 from 10.35 to 11.20 that evening.

For some time, these people had also been indulging in texting and twittering about the show and tonight, some 2,500 texts and 1,095 tweets would be sent, broadcast on Ceefax for those who wished to participate.

One of these people was @mathewhulbert. On June 17th 2009, he had 247 followers. By the end of June 18th, this had grown by 12% to 277 and reached 297 within a week. The initial growth came about by an active engagement on Twitter with a politician, @KerryMP, who having been goaded to the edge of sanity threatened to ignore the man – unleashing a wealth of support from the Twitterverse.

This is tale of fame, of manners and of the self-regulating community that is Twitter, with the Tweets in the story presented on a slide-by-slide timeline in the “Peruvian” style.

Narrative

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Leading Actors:@mathewhulbert – a journalist, writer, son, brother and uncle.@KerryMP – Labour MP for Bristol East

Extras:

@chrishawes – a mildly interesting Scout leader, Conservative activist and blogger@doktorb – a player with no Twitter bio@markinreading – all I do is tweet around BBC’s Question Time TV programme

The Players

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Phase 1 – The Pre-Show Warm-up And Greetings (22:01 to 22:19)Phase 2 – Challenging Banter Start (featuring the Sarcastic RipostePhase 3 – A Small Harmless Exchange (featuring a Claim, Suggestion, Response and a battle for the Lastword)Phase 4 – The GoadsPhase 5 – The Threat of ActionPhase 6 – AccusationsPhase 7 – The Claim To Fame (“people are ignoring me”)Phase 8 – The Claim to Fame is RidiculedPhase 9 – The Parties Seek CalmPhase 10 - @mathewhulbert Basks in Fame

The Action

Tweet from: @markinreading 22:01:00

The evening starts shortly before BBC Question Time takes to the air.

Phase 1: The Pre-Show Warm-Up And Greetings

Tweet from: @markinreading 22:02:00

The Twitterers settle down and introduce themselves...

Phase 1: The Pre-Show Warm-Up And Greetings

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 22:13:00

...re-acquaint themselves with each other...

Phase 1: The Pre-Show Warm-Up And Greetings

Tweet from: @ KerryMP 22:19:00

...and welcome new mates into the community ...

Phase 1: The Pre-Show Warm-Up And Greetings

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 22:22:00

A Sarcastic Riposte to our new friend ...

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

Tweet from: @markinreading 22:23:00

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

A ‘hard to understand’ Rhetorical Question 1 about a panellist...

(Rhetorical Question 1: “What is a socialdemocrat”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 22:24:00

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

Tweet from: @KerryMP

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

An innocuous ‘thinking out loud comment’

22:47:00

Tweet from: @KerryMP

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

A follow-on innocuous thinking out loud comment

22:48:00

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 22:49:00

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts

Innocuous comment gets challenged...

Tweet from: @KerryMP

Phase 3: First Small Harmless Exchange

22:55:00

Claimer makes a Claim 1...

(Claim 1 is “HoC authorities would not let MP leave some blacked-out stuff”)

Tweet from: @markinreading 22:56:00

Respondee makes a helpful/humorous Suggestion 1...

Phase 3: First Small Harmless Exchange

(Suggestion 1 “Poke HoC authorities on the knees”)

Tweet from: @KerryMP 22:58:00

Claimer offers humorous Response 1 to Suggestion 1

Phase 3: First Small Harmless Exchange

(Response 1 is “Prefer Kicking them in the shins”)

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:00:00

Respondee seeks (humorous) Lastword 1

Phase 3: First Small Harmless Exchange

(Lastword 1 is “Shins are good”)

Tweet from: @KerryMP

Claimer seeks (humorous) Lastword 2

23:02:00

Phase 3: First Small Harmless Exchange

(Lastword 2 is “Scared to take on Esther”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:03:00

Phase 4: The Goads

Goader starts to goad Goadee with Goad 1...

(Goader is @mathewhulbert and Goadee is @KerryMP. Goad 1 is “Why is Charlie Falconer defending Labour?”)

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:05:00

Goadee gives reasoned response in Rationale 1...

Phase 4: The Goads

(Rationale 1 is “nothing to do with whips office”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:07:01

Goader persists with new Goad 2...

Phase 4: The Goads

(Goad 2 is “Is this a Government running scared”?)

Tweet from: @chrishawes 23:07:02

Phase 4: The Goads

Goader 2 joins in and makes similar challenge with Goad 3...

(Goader 2 is @chrishawes. Goad 3 is “Why wasn’t a minister put forwards”)

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:08:00

Goadee gives Rationale 2 to Goader 2 re Goad 3

Phase 4: The Goads

(Rationale 2 is “Journo rings round until they find a taker”)

Tweet from: @doktorb 23:10:00

Goader 3 enters with Goad x

(Goad x is “You get promoted to be a Whip ifyou are not brave enough to face critics”)

Phase 4: The Goads

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:10:00

Goader persists, now with Goad 4...

Phase 4: The Goads

(Goad 4 is “Labour could have provided a heavy hitter if they wanted to”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:12:00

Goader progresses straight to Goad 5...

Phase 4: The Goads

(Goad 5 is “Where are Labour’s ministers”?)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:13:00

Phase 4: The Goads

Goader makes further Goady comment...[precise context unknown]

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:15:00

Goadee responds with Rationale 2 expressing Frustration 1 ...

Phase 4: The Goads

(Rational 2 is “Goader didn’t understand previous explanation” and Frustration 1: “can’t be bothered to explain”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:16:00

Phase 4: The Goads

...Goader responds to Frustration 1 and repeats Goad 5 ...

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:18:01

Phase 4: The Goads

Goadee follows up with Goad 6 ...

(Goad 6 is “Is it labour policy to be not bothered to explain”?)

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:18:02

Phase 5: The Threat of Action

...Goadee responds with Threat 1 of Action 1 ...

(Threat 1 is “I’m going to ignore you from now on” and Action 1 is the act of “Ignoring”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:19:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

(Accusation 1 is “You are Rude” and Goad 7 is “Why bother Tweeting if you don’t debate”?)

...Goader makes Accusation 1 and produces Goad 7 ...

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:20:00

...Goadee makes Accusation 2 yet offers Rationale 3

Phase 6: The Accusations

(Accusation 2 is “You are Intensely Annoying” Rationale 3 is “I’d rather be watching and engaging with others”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:20:01

Phase 6: The Accusations

Goader shares news of Action 1 and Exclamation 1

(Exclamation 1 is that Goadee’s action is “Unbelievable”)

Tweet from: @chrishawes

Goader 2 returns and attempts to calm Goader

23:20:02

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:21:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Goader demands Justification 1 of Accusation 2

(Justification 1 (demanded) is: “Why am I annoying”?)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:22:00

Goader repeats Accusation 1 and Goad 7 to Goader 2

Phase 6: The Accusations

(Reminder: Accusation 1 was “You are rude” and Goad 7 was “Can’t be bothered to debate”)

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:23:00

Goader repeats Accusation 1 and Goad 7 to Passerby

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:23:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:23:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:24:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:24:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:24:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:26:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:26:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:26:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:28:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:28:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:29:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:29:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:29:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:32:00

Phase 6: The Accusations

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:32:00

Phase 7: The Claim to Fame

Goader publicises Action 1 as Claim To Fame 1

(Claim to Fame 1 is “An MP is Ignoring Me”)

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:36:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:36:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:38:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:38:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:38:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:38:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:39:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:39:00

Goadee now offers an Olive Branch to Goader to “calm things down”

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:39:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:39:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:40:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:41:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:41:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:42:00

Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:42:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:43:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:43:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:44:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:45:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:45:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @markinreading 23:47:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:48:00

Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:49:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 23:49:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMP 23:54:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @markinreading 00:01:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMP 00:02:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMP 00:03:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 00:03:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMP 00:03:00

Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @markinreading 00:17:00

Phase : The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMPThe Day After 12:04:00

Phase : The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

Tweet from: @KerryMPThe Day after 14:47:00

Phase : The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

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Phase : The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

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Phase : @mathewhulbert Basks

23rd June

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Phase : @mathewhulbert and @KerryMP Friends

22nd June

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Phase : @mathewhulbert and @KerryMP Friends

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Phase : @mathewhulbert and @KerryMP Friends

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