Twitter Tales: Our Users, Their Stories

Frankly, @thebloggess was hesitant to even sign up for Twitter—even perhaps a bit hostile toward the idea that in addition to blogging she should somehow produce "tweets." What were these tweets? What did they do? Was it inappropriate to tweet in public? Would it stop her even if it was? Was the entire world watching?

The Bloggess Comes to Twitter

A number of her friends attempted to convince @thebloggess to join by showing her tweets talking about her blog posts—what better way to encourage her to join than to show that other people were talking about her behind her e-back, after all—but she remained resistant.

Ultimately, in 2008, a friend opened an account in her name and threatened to tweet in her place. Concessions were begrudgingly made and @thebloggess started her Twitter journey.

Her goal was both simple and terrifying: "If I am going to do this, I am going to entertain myself." Her Twitter account would become the "behind the scenes" commentary to her blog. It would also become an irreverent, rebellious, oddly wig-filled, and utterly hilarious documentation of an otherwise normal(ish) life.

The Highlight Reel

Highlights of @thebloggess' two-year tweet rampage include three awesome events:

As part of a campaign to bring silliness back into the world, @thebloggess tweeted about her adventures at a sandwich shop where she put the name "wolverines!" on her order, thereby making an employee have to shout out "Wolverines!" when her food was ready. The idea caught on like wildfire, and a few blog posts and a few hundred tweets (not all by her) later, #wolverines was a trending topic on Twitter.

After a surprise nomination in the "government" category in the Shorty Awards that was later rescinded due to @thebloggess not actually being in the government, she tweeted her outrage and was officially appointed the "Czar of Nothingness" in Martindale, Texas, so she would be eligible for another Shorty Award in government. However, due to the unfortunate technicality of her not having been in government at all prior to the nomination, she won't be eligible until next year.

After an argument with her husband that led to him stating that he would only be impressed by her Twitter presence if she was "famous enough to get William Shatner to come over for dinner," @thebloggess embarked (with the full, joyous support of her followers) on a Twitter campaign to get William Shatner to come to her house to "save her marriage."

William Shatner, perhaps perplexed by the preponderance of messages, blocked her; this led to another, even more widespread campaign to get Shatner to unblock @thebloggess. He did, though he's yet to come over for dinner.

The group of followers who supported her efforts became known as the "Bloggess Army" and went on to start another account, @thegoodbloggess, that helps individuals who are in a tough place in life.

Viva la Twitter!

As her voice evolved on Twitter, @thebloggess always focused on tweets that are fun for everyone (though especially her). This has included posting photos, videos, and retweeting other users she found amusing to her stream. She also has used Twitter as a personal support tree, noting mid-conference-inspired-possible-anxiety-attack that "I love Twitter. I'm still alone but no longer lonely. #mom2summit."

After a 2009 anxiety attack left her alone in a hotel room and unable to physically be around another person, she reached out via Twitter and, thousands of replies later, was awed at the level of connection she'd achieved.

Despite her initial resistance to Twitter, @thebloggess found much more than just an extension of her blog or a wider audience on Twitter. She found a group of wry misfits to connect with, a "bloggess army" to help other people with, and a unique way to share her life with her followers and friends.

Written by @francesca

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