How to Avoid 3 of the Dumbest Mistakes Good People Make on Twitter

Twitter is a wonderful place to make new friends, have real time conversations and gain valuable information.

There are three common dumb, even innocent, mistakes that Twitter members—regular social members as well as marketers make that can be very costly, affecting PC’s, losing friends and followers and even causing one to get TOS’ed off of Twitter.

Sadly, these mistakes are common and made by good people who are just picking up bad Twitter ways they have seen in the stream or think these are things that friends and good Twitter members do. [Note: in the examples below the only real links are to @judyrey and http://ungravenimage.com. The rest are phony and for example purposes only]

Mistake # 3: Using a (via) when ReTweeting.

Although this is Twitter legal and popular it is a dumb thing to do. It adds in extra characters to a RT. We all need extra character– not less.

Some people began to do it as it makes a good Tweet seem to come from the ReTweeter. Plus, others who come along and RT it again may end up dropping the parentheses and not the second Tweeter, so it’s a bit scammy.

The way to RT is to do it up front of the Tweet.

Example:

@Twitterer1 RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day!

This has 3 less characters than

@Twitterer1 Have a Happy Day (via @judyrey)”

Since some Twitter stats use RTs to show influence the ( via ..) method is somewhat unfriendly to the originator of the Tweet.

Plus, the more people who can join a Twitter RT-conga-line the more exposure for the Tweet and the ReTweeters!

Mistake #2: Add a link to your own site or comment as if it was part of an original message and ReTweet it.

For example, @Foul_Twitterer decides to use this to draw others to his web page with affiliate marketing, via a shortened link:

@Foul_Twitterer RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day! http://abc.yz/LmNo

It looks to his followers, those who follow lists that show his tweets and anyone who sees my Tweets via a search that the link originally came from me. It didn’t, so this kind of Tweeting is a form of lying, slander, plus again it breaks Twitter TOS.

This kind of RTing gets people unfollowed, blocked, reported to Twitter—and can lose your account! It is a dumb thing to do even when it links to something innocent seeming.

If a link or RT seems out of character for someone you follow scroll through their tweets to see if they made it.

Here’s another example of this kind of RT:

@AliceinTwitterland is basically a good person who fell down the Twitter Rabbit Hole and is following what she has seen in the stream. She wants to add in a comment for a cause she espouses. She loves animals, which is why she fell in the hole. @AliceinTwitterland tweets:

@AliceinTwitterland RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day! Adopt a shelter rabbit!

Now, I happen to be strongly for rescuing shelter pets and have personally done this and worked for HSUS’s my Pet TV originating a show about animal rescues. Every now and then I will Tweet something about animal causes, but not often as on Twitter I am basically about art, seeing the world in a new way, standing to religious tolerance and freedom, plus helping out with what I have learned about using Social Media. Plus, every now and then I tweet jokes or humor.

@AliceinTwitterland‘s adding her message to make it seem like it is part of my own would be tolerated but not appreciated my me. While Alice cannot fathom how a nice little rabbit could get one in trouble, the point is she is putting words in my mouth! I would not send out a morning greeting about this. I would probably DM @AliceinTwitterland warning her not to add to my tweets. I would not “off her head” by reporting her to Twitter or block her. But she would not see a RT for herself from me for a long time, at least until she finishes painting the roses red.

There are two correct ways to add links or comments to Retweets that indicte they are additions. These ways do not break TOS and are polite and acceptable.

Here are examples:

How @Foul_Twitterer can tweetly clean up his act:

@Foul_Twitterer My happy day:  http://abc.yz/LmNo RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day

@Foul_Twitterer RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day [ http://abc.yz/LmNo ]

How @AliceinTwitterland can stay out of holes:

@AliceinTwitterland Good day to adopt a shelter pet! RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day

@AliceinTwitterland RT @judyrey Have a Happy Day [Today's a Good Day to Adopt a Shelter Pet!]

Mistake # 1: Dumbest mistake a good, smart Twitter member can make: Clicking on any link sent in a DM that you did not previously request or agree to from a friend.

Most Twitter members learn quickly not to open any of those enticing links in DMs. The problems occur from messages that seem to be sent by actual friends and people we have come to know and trust in the stream.

In case you think it cannot happen to your friends because they are smart, it happened to one of mine recently who is web and phishing savvy, plus plenty smart—she even has a PhD! She was tired and got a link from someone she trusted and clicked on it.

We trust our friends– but never trust an unexpected link in a DM!

The way that phishing scams work is through links that are sent in DMs. They thrive because people—good people – fall for them and click the link that leads to a phony mirror site or authentic looking site that asks for their Twitter info. Seems harmless—but it is not! Apparently some links only need to be clicked to infect the victim’s PC—no info needs to be given past that initial click.

I have seen sites that look like Facebook or those of trusted apps. Even the URLs are formulated to deceive us.

While it seems safe to only open fascinating from real friends who know us that claim to have spotted our pictures in videos or photos, challenge us in I.Q contests, polls, etc. checking these links even from your best friend or family members is just plain ignorant—or since you have read this- dumb!

Phishers count on friends and family members clicking on these links so they fish the followers of the unsuspecting phishing victim and send out their wicked messages to them.

A requested link is one you asked for and/or expected. I have asked for links from friends that did not belong in the stream or that I wanted to consider for a RT.

The only link I will send is to my email address as to date sending an email to someone is always safe

I quit sending links, even ones to my web site http://ungravenimage.com – which is not shortened in DMs unless they are first requested or announced, even when adding the link in my reply DM would be appropriate.

For instance, I get DMs asking to see my art. Instead of sending a link back I DM this kind of reply:

@judyrey Hi & TY! To discover my art check out the link on my profile page or Google: UnGraven Image Be sure to play the top video!

Or, I reply with a Tweet in the Twitter stream so everyone can see:

@judyrey Hi & TY! To discover my art check out http://ungravenimage.com.. Be sure to play the top video!

The all time dumbest thing you can do on Twitter—or in a Facebook email is to click on an unrequested link and most especially a shortened one!

I do this so if I am ever phished—if my account is compromised my friends (I consider my followers to be friends) will remember that I do not send links in DMs unless first announced.

If someone you trust sends you an unexpected link in a DM  do not click on it until they verify via the public Twitter stream, an email or phone call that they actually did send that link.

So have fun, stay safe and Tweet smart. Follow me, I really as @judyrey and I follow back followers!

If you found the info in this blog valuable then share it with your followers. Tweeting and RTing information that you find valuable is a way to gain trust, gain followers and it’s also just plain friendly. Please cut and paste the Tweet below into your Twitter stream or add it to your Facebook wall, or something like it:

How to Avoid 3 of the Dumbest Mistakes Good People make on Twitter http://bit.ly/Twitrmistakes!