0 How I Use Twitter

I originally joined Twitter in late 2012 because I wanted to learn more about others' blogs on biology and microbiology, follow research announcements, and get a broader sense of the issues around health care in the world.

So far, Twitter has exceeded my expectations - there is always something interesting and provocative (sometimes disturbing) to learn about in the world of science via Twitter. So much so, I can often barely keep up with it all.

After a while, though, I had to ask myself how Camp Other blog was going to use Twitter in general - not just in terms of what to follow, but also keeping in mind those who follow Camp Other's feed.

I came up with these guidelines for how Camp Other's Twitter account is going to operate:

Camp Other Followers:

Camp Other blog welcomes anyone and everyone to follow, and as long as you are respectful in your comments - you're welcome to stay. (Respectful means being able to disagree without being an ass and resorting to ad hominem attacks, basically.)

Camp Other blog may not always follow you back - and Camp Other sometimes rotates who it follows. This isn't personal; it reflects the fact that Camp Other is more likely to follow those who consistently post information about tickborne diseases, microbiology, immunology, health care, and science - and less likely to follow those who are mainly on Twitter to socialize.

If anyone sends spam or has a spam account, that's not cool - you are going to get blocked. Expect it.

If anyone acts disrespectfully and is being a jerk, you will be blocked. If need be, your actions will be reported.

Who Camp Other Follows:

First and foremost, Camp Other follows someone if they post a considerable amount of information and links on tickborne diseases, microbiology, immunology, science, the patient experience, and/or healthcare. Camp Other also follows someone if their account is personally entertaining or informative on subjects outside these topics - but this is less common.

If you are a patient with a tickborne disease, CFS/ME, fibromyalgia, or similar condition, Camp Other may or may not follow your account. There's no hard and fast rule here, but in general Camp Other tends to follow other patients who are interested in science and tweet about it - and also patients who have a good or distinct way of describing the patient experience. Camp Other may also follow someone if their perspective is underrepresented in general and needs a voice.

Camp Other's Tweets:

Camp Other's tweets are not necessarily endorsements. Tweets may be retweeted (RT) or shared because they are interesting, provocative, disturbing, informative, funny, and/or controversial - not because Camp Other agrees with and promotes the ideas in them 100%.

That's all - if you have any other questions, feel free to ask.