Civil Simian - Twitter This! Why I do not Blog or Twitter

Twitter This!

Why I Don't Twitter or Blog

By Shawn Rohrbach

Seven years ago, I set up my first blog. At that time, there were only a few hundred thousand blogs and I had a strong following. Today, blogs number in the tens of millions. That is information overload. I stopped blogging five years ago, and now don't bother to read any blogs. For the most part, they are either insipid ramblings or a repository for written and graphical pornography.
I was told by a publicist hired to update authors of one of my publishing companies on the use of modern media that I should set up a twitter account immediately. I asked if this would drive up sales of my books as effectively as a full page ad in the New York Times book section. I suggested the publishing company stop spending money on consultants and get back to the business of marketing books. This fell on deaf ears.
I do not want to know where celebrities are nor do I want the world to know where I am one hundred percent of the time. I don't care where some blow hard news pundit is, nor do I care what Mr. Movie Superstar is up to today. One excitable friend who DOES care where Mr. Superstar is called me when he first signed up for Superstar's twitter; it made him feel so much closer to the star he idolizes. I laughed and said the PR person who wrote the twitter entry wanted my friend to BELIEVE Mr. Movie Superstar was actually at a certain restaurant or gym, but in reality was probably far away in the privacy he so richly deserves. And that is exactly where I want to be.
I am aware some people need adoration. The more followers they have, the better they feel. They are not satisfied knowing they have done good work and it has sold well; they must be followed and this is equated with adoration. Twittering is not civil discourse; it is either narcissism or voyeurism. It is used in our society to either be adored by followers or to pry into the privacy of others.
I hope my own works speak for themselves and people who desire to read more of my work do so because they like my particular manner of organizing words. If you see me in public, greet me, and I will thank you for buying my work. There is no need to follow me. I hope you enjoy my books in the quiet comfort and privacy of your home or a cozy coffee shop, and I will enjoy writing more books in the quiet privacy of an undisclosed location.