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


The Twitterers settle down and introduce themselves...


Tweet from: @mathewhulbert 22:13:00

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


Tweet from: @ KerryMP 22:19:00

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



A Sarcastic Riposte to our new friend ...

Phase 2: Challenging Banter Starts



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

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

Tweet from: @KerryMP


An innocuous ‘thinking out loud comment’

22:47:00



A follow-on innocuous thinking out loud comment

22:48:00



Innocuous comment gets challenged...


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”)


Respondee makes a helpful/humorous Suggestion 1...


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

Tweet from: @KerryMP 22:58:00

Claimer offers humorous Response 1 to Suggestion 1


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


Respondee seeks (humorous) Lastword 1


(Lastword 1 is “Shins are good”)


Claimer seeks (humorous) Lastword 2

23:02:00


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


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?”)


Goadee gives reasoned response in Rationale 1...

Phase 4: The Goads

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


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”)


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


Goader persists, now with Goad 4...

Phase 4: The Goads

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


Goader progresses straight to Goad 5...

Phase 4: The Goads

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


Phase 4: The Goads

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


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”)


Phase 4: The Goads

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


Phase 4: The Goads

Goadee follows up with Goad 6 ...

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


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”)


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 ...


...Goadee makes Accusation 2 yet offers Rationale 3


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



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




Goader demands Justification 1 of Accusation 2

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


Goader repeats Accusation 1 and Goad 7 to Goader 2


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


Goader repeats Accusation 1 and Goad 7 to Passerby


Tweet from: @mathewhulbert



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”)


Phase 8: The Claim to Fame Is Ridiculed


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



Phase 9: Both Parties Now Seek Calm


Phase 10: The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In


Phase : The Fame of @mathewhulbert Sinks In

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


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


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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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twitter social anthropology 2 (unfinished)

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