8 Reasons Why Good Writers Should Hate Hashtags

8/12/2012

#goodarticle! Down with the #hashtaghags!

If you want some more laughs about Twitter, have a look at this…
http://howtowritebetter.net/how-to-tweet-on-twitter-without-strangling-the-birdie/

Thanks for posting Suzan – great blog post yourself! I hope I’m not a “Hashtag Fiend”! I hate TMI Queens too, grr haha!

LOL … that article was originally written about Twitter, but now everyone is hastagging like crazy on Instagram I think maybe I should write some funnies about that too! what do you think? 😉 Sz x

Yes! Do it S!! 🙂

Also annoying when people use hashtags on Facebook 🙂 I agree with all your points – tweets are so short, means you can’t even write two proper sentences, and even less so if you include a link. As you say, horrible place for us grammar Nazis! (You’d have thought somebody would have used ‘IAmWriting’ really, it’s only one extra letter) 😉

Another disconcerting thing is that it seems to have become an adequate replacement for proper statements from people in the media. I remember when Michael Jackson died, they had a run of really naff, clipped tweets from celebrities on the music channels and I thought ‘wow, is this all our legacies are going to be worth in the end?’. Great piece! And #retweeted

I agree, Facebook hashtagging is embarrassing, was just talking about this to my friend this morning. Sometimes I think it’s a hangover from when tweeps link their Twitter and Facebook accounts. I’ve seen some of mine appear that way… Something to keep an eye on I guess.

#IAmWriting is a fantastic idea… let’s go! We can bring down #AmWriting, I’m sure haha!

Re: statements from the media – agreed. I guess the ‘soundbite’ has been bitten even smaller!

Thanks for the RT and for your great comments. x

Whoops, I use hashtags on facebook. (And I still post across from twitter sometimes). But then I also grew up with LiveJournal and posting weird tag-related jokes, so it just comes naturally…

Pinterest and Google+ both use hashtags, I am sure Facebook will come around eventually and then I can just pretend I was ahead of the trend!

Funny. I hate the darn things because I don’t understand them.

Hi Francene – thanks for posting! Take a look at this previous blog post I did – it might help!
http://www.misswrite.co.uk/1/post/2012/04/recycling-hashtag-special.html
All the best x

I felt amused to see the writer has used number of hash tags to explain why should the writers avoid using them.

Haha you spotted my irony – hope it wasn’t too unsubtle!

I want to express my admiration of your writing skill and ability to make readers. I would like to read newer posts and to share my thoughts with you

Thank you!

I’m a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I’m also working on a novel. Still.

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#Cleverhashtags, like the humorous #replacesongtitleswithturkey, are great games to join in with. And I have raved about hashtags in the past in terms of their #magicalpowers of humanising your tweets, #networking and #research. Today I’m going to forget all that.

These are the 8 reasons why good #writers should hate hashtags.

1. Hashtags are the bane of your life if you’re a #grammarnazi – and every #writer should be close to this politically. Evidence? You cannot add any punctuation to a hashtag otherwise it breaks into two. For instance, #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas is one floating about the Twittersphere this December. #ImGladThat someone had the sense to create #AmWriting instead of #ImWriting…

2. #Cramming words together in one giant blob is not attractive. Although #itsfunnyhow your brain can still compute what the tag is supposed to say, #IMiss the spaces in between the words.

3. It’s even worse when the hashtag’s spelt wrong! See #faulsehope and #thatakwardmomentwhen.

4.       Sometimes they’re used excessively to emphasise things (e.g #amazing or #epicfail). I do like this about hashtags, as it can add #emotional flavour to your tweet, but #oneisenough, people! Try to express how you feel with actual sentences, please, for me?!

5.       Hashtags are ruining speech in the English language. Much like the ‘txtspk’ phenomenon which threatened #English essays in every #school, a hashtag speech #addiction is developing. #Youcantbetakenseriouslyif you name drop hashtags into #daily conversations.

6.   Hashtags can breed negativity. #ImSickOf, case in point. Writers don’t need that vibe, and it doesn’t help the person tweeting about it either. #Getoffyourass, try to #makeadifference to your or someone else’s life, or quit complaining!

7. #Whatwomenwant is an example of ridiculous hashtags which yet again make me despise their use. If you take #twominutes to read this kind of #junk you’ll see what I mean. 90% of them are being detrimental to their sex by #playingon their #stereotypes and slagging off their own or their ex. If you’re #venting, I won’t #follow you. Writers, you know you’re #wastingtime better spent #writing if you’re using these!!!

8. Hashtags can be (unintentionally?) #racist. Take a look at #firstworldproblems and #stereotyping for examples. I’m sure not all the #questionable tweets intended to sound racist, but you have to be careful how you come across when you hit the ‘tweet’ button, even if it’s supposed to be a #funny comment on #society.

And now I’m going to tweet this #blog post. Probably with a hashtag or two attached. Feel free to #retweet!

Lou x

P.S. Apologies for being a little late with my blog this week, haven’t been feeling too top. I’m beginning to #bounceback though – see you next week!

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