Surviving Digital Tribalism....Rules of War Using Twitter

I believe that the near real-time engagement and discource that Twitter offers for you to communicate/feedback with your followers allows for the tribes to communicate, disseminates information and build relationships.

Communication is done in a virtual manner through twits (less than 140 characters).  However, there is no assurance of personal interest protection, control and safeguards. Tribesmen have autonomy with respect to their twits … But as with any tribe, you start to venture outside the group norms and there could be trouble.

We already see incidences on Twitter of people ganging up on one another, calling others names, slandering them or even stating what is appropraite for discussion (or not)… Within any society, tribalism exists and that is indead true with communities online. Further, the headhunting syndrome is also true within digital communities- the enforcers of the ‘cread’, the protectors of what is good and right. People (tribesman) that believe it is their place, their right and their responcibility for the communities interest to ensure the ‘rules’ are understood and followed…

So on Twitter you don’t see (in the most part) excessive swearing, abusive language, off-color jokes, the  use of CAPS IN TWITS, and will even notice that certain topics are not mentioned (not talking about from the illegal topics). Should you see this behaviour, the tribesman would circle and ‘educate’ the offendor. This is the nature of group learning/forming that has developed within the Twitter culture, it’s social norms and determined the nature of twit engagement.

So for those of you that see Twitter simply as a novity application, a fad; don’t be fooled.  Twitter is a community of tribes where headhunters roam the community. I wish you all the best and hope your war paint is enough to scare them away.