About my quote in The Wire

My quote in The Wire makes me seem awfully nice! (And I am nice! I am a teddy bear!) But I do think my full response to Allie’s question is a much better description of my true thoughts on faving. Here’s what I sent her the other day:

Hey Allie,
I fave things because I like them, or hate them. I do it to say good job, or fuck you, or just because I want to see them again. (But I never, ever see them again.) I fave things because I want the writer to know that I know too—I fave stuff just to let people know I’ve seen it. I fave things out of obligation. I fave things because I’m bored. I fave things to be a part of something bigger than myself. I fave things because favoriting is important and society is broken and Twitter is a meaningless and empty way for me to pass the time and avoid any form of introspection that might make me a better or more productive person. I favorite things to get people’s attention. (“Take out menus left on the doors of other restaurants,” but I may be misquoting that.) I favorite things to feel less alone, and so that you’ll feel less alone too. I favorite stuff that makes me laugh. Sometimes I favorite things by accident. Fave.
-Mat
via mobile

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This goes unmentioned but I think it’s worth noting that favorites were one of Twitter’s earliest features. In 2006 there even used to be a most favorited page that showed the most popular tweets that day (or week or something). I think it helped establish the culture that you see there to this day.