Things I Hate About Twitter – The Babbling Company Feed

There are companies that do not get it.

Seriously, when I follow your company on Twitter, it is because I want to get updates about what your company is doing.

This is especially the case when the big name at your company invites people to follow with the promise of company information.

http://twitter.com/#!/RichardGarriott/status/111830502067027968

Okay, wow, cool, Richard Garriott‘s company, Portalarium is on Twitter.  They are going to tweet about their games in the works and more!  I’ll jump right on that and follow!

Only they are not really tweeting anything about their games.

Portalarium tweets since September 8th: 38

Portalarium tweets talking about Portalarium products: ~2

They actually tweeted this twice:

http://twitter.com/#!/Portalarium/status/113659980615401472

I submit that, technically, this is not really “about” their game at all, just a come-on to try and get people to download it and play.

I realize that some poor schmoe has been given the job of engaging with the community.  I realize this person must have a tough job, since apparently the company has given them nothing to talk about.  But this sort of crap is… well… crap!

http://twitter.com/#!/Portalarium/status/115907275192942593

We are not stuck in a god damn elevator together, you do not have to make conversation to pass the time.  If you have nothing to say, don’t say it!

Okay, yes, their twitter profile says, “Sharing interesting infobits on topics of interest to our company and employees and our industry!”  Which I guess makes Mr. Garriott the person to blame here.

And the fact that the main thing on the front page of their web site is the text:

Home of
Hall-of-Fame Game Designer,
Richard “Lord British” Garriott

along with what must be at least a 20 year old picture of gaming’s most famous space tourist should have probably tipped me off as to what I should expect.