this note — spotted by erik in a breakroom at northwestern’s medill school of journalism — takes me back to my days as a bright-eyed young reporter cheerfully slaving away at my college daily, where the grizzled old alumni “mentors” working at the times or the globe always seemed to have the same advice: that if we were smart, we’d get the hell out of journalism before it was too late. (”ha ha,” we’d laugh, awkwardly.) it’s somehow reassuring to know that kids today (”kids today!”) are still blithely ignoring their elders to pursue a degree that just might be the most unnecessary in higher education.
but seriously now. at this point, you’re like, “what is this biotch rambling on about? doesn’t she know i don’t read text longer than 140 characters at a time? show me the picture, dammit!” and that, young j-schoolers, is the topic of next week’s lecture.
related: the silverware segregationist
extra credit: the twitter explosion [american journalism review]
119 responses so far ↓
#1
racerx2233
There are no magnets big enough to hold my comments
Jun 4, 2009 at 12:39 am rating: +8
#2
Flaboy2425
I neither twitter nor tweet but I can certainly use the magnets. Thank you! What a nice graduation gift. I really wanted three.
Jun 4, 2009 at 12:43 am rating: +5
#3
Canthz_B
It’s nice to know that with all that is going on in the world today, (War, Famine, Global Warming, Political Corruption), J-students are preparing themselves so well…to cover Hollywood.
Jun 4, 2009 at 12:58 am rating: +15
#4
Canthz_B
This was really a whole-heartedly felt message.
That is, until the half-hearted ending!
Jun 4, 2009 at 1:15 am rating: +5
#5
lightspeed
Please tell me who posted this so I know to whom I should forward every email chain letter, facebook quiz, video and twitter.
No wait, don’t – it makes for better twittering to wonder who put this up. (pulls out iphone…)
Thank you.
Jun 4, 2009 at 2:02 am rating: +4
#6
V-
Look at the greasy fingerprints! Did someone try to type a response?
Jun 4, 2009 at 2:49 am rating: +17
#7
TheOldSchool
Medill does cost $36,735 per year.
Repeat:
Me dildoes cost $36,735 per year.
Where’s the bang for the bucks?
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:14 am rating: +11
#8
park rose
Whenever I read an article, text on the written page, a book even (imagine that in the voice of Snagglepuss). . . if I am searching for a word or a reference, I reach for the ctrl + F button, and get very frustrated when it’s not available, and I have to put my very rusty skimming and
scamming,spammingscanning skills to use.Luckily I usually only subject my students to such antiquated, but effective, forms of torture. Sorry that this post is more than 140 characters.
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:22 am rating: +4
#9
park rose
I think that we should attempt to define the 140 most magnetic characters of all time.
I’m stuck in cartoon world at the moment, so I’m running with
*Homer Simpson
*Pepe le pew
*Snagglepuss
*Marvin the Martian
and the
*Yip-Yips
but NOT
*Foghorn Leghorn
or
*Yosemite Sam
or
*Ren
or
*Stimpy,
though
*Terrance
and
*Phillip
might qualify…
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:32 am rating: +3
#10
Becky the Dictator
What I love the most is that in conjunction with the lower half of the red heart border, the two magnets look like the two little googly-eyes of a smiley face.
: ]
… Anyone? Anyone?
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:33 am rating: +7
#11
park rose
from a dying medium to a dead horse…
I think this needs paraphrasing –
From Tiresias [well, he was getting on, and was blind, to boot] to Seahorse / Stewball/ Pharlap, not to mention Mr. Ed … take your pick.
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:49 am rating: +3
#12
unholyghost2003
Smart J-School students ignoring everything Twitter related. I agree, Ashton’s lunch is not news, but what Downing St just tweeted might be.
Jun 4, 2009 at 5:21 am rating: +3
#13
SuperMe
i loooooooove me some twitter.
Jun 4, 2009 at 6:37 am rating: +2
#14
Woman on the Verge
Definition:
twitter
twit⋅ter [twit-er]
–verb (used without object)
1. to utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds, as a bird.
2. to talk lightly and rapidly, esp. of trivial matters; chatter.
3. to titter; giggle.
4. to tremble with excitement or the like; be in a flutter.
So why would anyone want to do something that’s so ridicu – Hang on a sec, I gotta tweet this!
Jun 4, 2009 at 7:58 am rating: +3
#15
stickman
tweet, tweet
Jun 4, 2009 at 8:09 am rating: +2
#16
Resident Grammarian esq
Please, anytime you feel the urge to talk to me, talk to this giant inflatable hand instead. This is so you don’t waste my tim with your jibbering. I’ve even provided chairs for your comfort.
Jun 4, 2009 at 8:42 am rating: +6
#17
Canthz_B
That’s not a sign……that’s the money I saved by switching to GEICO!
Jun 4, 2009 at 8:54 am rating: +1
#18
CS harmonikah
And i will get on my soap box and add that I refuse to twitter because nothing of any real importance is ever sent in 140 characters from a phone. Oh, my old roommate hates the DMV. Fascinating.
It makes me think about that episode of the Boondocks cartoon in which a character voiced by Samuel L. Jackson claims that nothing worthwhile has ever been written using your thumbs.
Jun 4, 2009 at 9:12 am rating: +6
#19
claw71
Ah, journalism school…where it takes the better part of four years and $40,000 to learn how to deploy the word “alleged”. Of course the hearts on the note above lead me to believe that the folks at Northwestern might be throwing a few graphic design courses in the curriculum. Those will come in handy when these J-school grads enter the real world and put those degrees to work, in the mail room of some fortune 500 company.
Jun 4, 2009 at 9:33 am rating: +4
#20
amy d
Tweet and retweet were in a boat Tweet fell out. Who was left?
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:14 am rating: +3
#21
Sarcastraphe
Okay… this isn’t a real passive aggressive note. It is a plant by that prominently displayed pizza company magnet.
After reading the note, I called the number on the magnet and they said six of you had called too!
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:14 am rating: +8
#22
Emma
ILU Twitter.
Magnets?! That’s not how the darned website works! Let’s be real people: Does this person even KNOW what Twitter is?
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:16 am rating: +1
#23
ClearlyDemented
I back this note-writer wholeheartedly. I mean, why should they be bothered to hit the delete button when they can have others waste time and paper printing things out that wont be read?
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:40 am rating: +6
#24
you suck at craigslist
I’m sick of the “Twitter is the new journalism” articles too, and I’m not even a journalism major.
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:48 am rating: +3
#25
Marklar
Marklar! Nork.
Jun 4, 2009 at 11:10 am rating: +2
#26
ClearlyDemented
I, too, like to try to create a less sterile relationship with spammers. In fact, later this afternoon I’m having someone come over to talk to me about becoming a crime scene investigator, just like on TV!
Jun 4, 2009 at 11:29 am rating: +2
#27
RP
If you don’t want that stuff sent to your e-mail can’t you just turn that feature off?
I don’t use Twitter but I’d be really surprised if there’s no way to prevent tweets from going to your e-mail.
Jun 4, 2009 at 1:09 pm rating: +2
#28
Phalange
I tried to sign up for Twitter once but accidently mispelled and wound up going to a site called “Twatter”. I get the feeling it was a lot better than Twitter.
Jun 4, 2009 at 1:23 pm rating: +8
#29
park rose
Rupert through the Media Lens,
or
How Rupert Selects his Staff.
`I know what you’re thinking about,’ twitted Tweetledum: `but it isn’t so, nohow.’
`Contrariwise,’ twitted Tweetledee, `if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.’
`I was thinking,’ Rupert led very maniacally, `which is the best wayward route of this hood: retreat remitting remark. Cloud, duplicity, conceal?’
But the little men only looked at each other and grinned.
They looked so exactly like a couple of great schoolboys, that Rupert couldn’t help pointing his finger at Tweetledum, and praising `First Boy!’
`Nohow!’ Tweetledum cried out briskly, and shut his mouth up again with a snap.
`Next Boy!’ said Rupert, passing on to Tweetledee, though he felt quite certain he would only shout out “Contrariwise!’ and so he did.
`You’ve been wrong!’ cried Tweetledum. `The first thing in a visit is to say “How d’ye do?” and shake hands!’ And here the two brothers gave each other a hug, and then they held out the two hands that were free, to create rants for twitter.
Perfect candidates.
Jun 4, 2009 at 3:44 pm rating: +7
#30
oi!
so J schools today are gay and high?
*not that there is anything wrong with that*
Jun 4, 2009 at 5:28 pm rating: +5
#31
fluffy8u
A magnet is old school Twittering.
Jun 4, 2009 at 9:03 pm rating: +2
#32
Bernd das Brot
So what is this twitter thing everyone is talking about?
Jun 4, 2009 at 9:05 pm rating: +1
#33
TheOldSchool
What was Eric doing in the break room?
That seems kinda suspicious to me.
Jun 4, 2009 at 10:09 pm rating: +1
#34
Woman on the Verge
That damn notewriter is such a Twit.
Jun 5, 2009 at 6:44 am rating: +1
#35
mamason
Oops! I just tweeted.
Jun 5, 2009 at 3:41 pm rating: +1
#36
mamason
So is it… I tweet, you twit, they twat?
Jun 5, 2009 at 3:44 pm rating: 0
#37
mamason
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
I think I tweeted again
I made you believe we’re more than just friends
Oh baby
It might seem like a crush
But it doesn’t mean that I’m serious
cause to lose all my senses
That is just so typically me
Oh baby, baby
Oops!…I tweeted again
I played with your heart, got lost in the game
Oh baby, baby
Oops!…you think I’m in love
That I’m sent from above
I’m not that into you!
Jun 5, 2009 at 3:49 pm rating: 0
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