On facebook, that wonderful thing that makes me feel I am not lonely as my Saturday nights would lead me to believe, there's a cool bit of smiley-like jargon happening.
You put up a status update. You are so popular that there's an avalanche of comments, let's say from Tom, Harry and Sally.
Then, in one comment, you have to reply to them all. So you go:
@Tom - Thanks!
@ Harry - You just don't get it, do you?
@ Sally - :)
@ Tom & Harry - Where's your friend these days?
If I am writing the names of the people I am replying to, then why the @?
Maybe I am just thick and not 'with it'. Or, Harry-like, I just don't 'get' it.
ooh ooh oooh I actually know the answer to this one! Phew! It comes from "Twitter". People link up their Twitter accounts to their Facebook pages, and Twitter uses a strange reply format, in which you write @__name here__ before a message to someone.
ReplyDeleteI usually don't know any of this technology stuff. But I thought I'd share on this rare occasion!
Hey, Welcome back Erin!
ReplyDeleteThat's cool. Thanks for the demystification! But know what, a whole bunch of my fb friends admitted that they were using @ because they saw someone else doing it!
Can I turn your comment into a post here? Just so people know?
You don't know technology stuff? I don't believe that! You are years ahead of me. It was only three days ago that I figured how to turn a word on blogger into a link!
why are your friends called tom, harry and sally? why aren't they anita, parag and sanjay?
ReplyDeletetch tch tch.....
For the same reason your blog is called sugarsticks, Anita!
ReplyDelete