Thoughts on Citations on Twitter

Thoughts-Citations-Twitter.txt

Thoughts on Citations on Twitter

I often post quotes on Twitter without citing the source. I have a few
reasons for doing that. 

First, Twitter is a limited medium for expression, and as such, I
usually find that the quote I want to tweet does not fit within 140
characters. Limiting the expression even more by including a citation
is too burdensome. Likewise, I don't want to reply to every one of my
tweets with the citation—that would be too many tweets. It's
unfortunate that Twitter doesn't support footnotes.

Second, I recognize that it is easy for you, the reader, to find the
source of the quote. You can always ask me, or search for it on
Google. Most of my quotes are from textual sources that Google has
indexed. Often I Google the quote myself, and am pleasantly surprised
that the first result is the source of the quote.

Third, I am of the opinion that the content of a quote is more
important than the author. I suspect many people either ignore the
content because of the author, or blindly accept the content because
of the author. I would like to avoid both extremes.

I want you to encounter the content of the quote first, and if you
still interested to refine your understanding by seeking the source.
But if you are not interested in the first 140 characters—minus two
for the quotes—then it's not worth the effort for me to cite it.

I am aware, however, that language does not exist in a vacuum. No
language exists apart from the milieu in which it is uttered. Knowing
the context is essential for correct understanding of the basic terms
of an enunciation. For this reason, citations are critical for
scholarly work.

I use Twitter as an informal medium to express ideas that interest me.
Frequently that takes the form of quoting content that I find 
interesting. If you share similar interests, then you are free to
follow me. But if you find that you are often disappointed with the
quotes that I post, you are free to unfollow me. My posts on Twitter
are not meant to be a scholarly work.

Quotes are like résumés—they are an invitation to pursue a greater
reality. Do you really need to see references on a résumé? Do I need
to say "Citations available upon request"?

If you find a quote intriguing, ask me for the source and let us
explore the idea together. Even if we find the idea lacking in the
end, we have gained fellowship.