TweetSG – SMS to Update

Thank you for considering TweetSG. Unfortunately the system can no longer take in more users without additional resources which I am not inclined to provide.

Please consider http://sgbeat.com and http://smsyo.com
Please contact the mentioned services directly regarding any questions as I am not affiliated with them in any way.

I saw quite a few well-meaning supporters summarized this saga into 140 characters but may have misreported this whole thing. This saga is not about users being n00b or not a n00b. If I dislike n00b so much, why would I let the system to use for all in the first place?

I interpret a person’s message to me based on his/her intent & attitude. I am not saying I am perfect in my manners, in fact, it is my weakness and I admit it that I take it personally since this is my personal project. Some of these social media “consultants” are in fact correct to point out my flaws.

But heck, who doesn’t have an ego when he can create a system single-handledly that processes 255827 incoming SMSes for 9000+ users in a span of 7 months at $322 Singapore dollars? (excluding my man-hours but including modem, SIMcard + running-cost. VPS not included since it is already paid for)

Am I apologetic to those who got it from me by “going against me”? No. I still believe they deserve it. If it is a good lesson for me, it is also a good lesson for them to go around airing opinions in a public system to me.

TweetSG follows 8000+ & 7000+ followers. Typically, I read tonnes of updates from tonnes of people. The interesting ones I re-post, the others, I kept my thoughts to myself. I’d never go around telling any user  my update: “I am going to eat mac” is cooler than yours. (Btw, it is Mcdonalds, not Macdonalds. You can’t swallow an Apple product)

I understand some local social media “specialists” love to capitalize. But I would also like to point out, during the infancy of this system, it is the similar bunch of “specialists” who said “Why is he doing this? Doesn’t he know there’s such thing call data-plan?” or “Woah, there will b more n00bs on Twitter.”, “aiya, it won’t work one, 1-way SMS only”.

In fact, I don’t really like to use the word n00b. If determination of n00bness is based on when one started using Twitter or about “coolness” or “righteousness” of their updates are, then I am a n00b too. One who can become very uncivilized and barbaric when he wants to.

However, It was those statements that I mentioned earlier from these “experts” that motivated me. Drove me to change a clumsy password based system that was convenient for me but not for the user, to a system that was convenient for users but not for me. To prove that on-the-go Twitter can be still OK with 1-way messaging.

I think we should all give our local social media “experts” a round of applause for giving me that motivation to run the system this far.

That being said, this will be the last entry for this saga. There are important things to do like doing house-work at my new place and other OFFline things that matter.

Once again, new users, please visit http://sgbeat.com/ and/or http://smsyo.com/ (they are not associated with me & are confirmed friendly) for local numbers to update Twitter with SMS. For current users, all messages will be free from URL. This means no residual web-traffic for me but also means I don’t have to answer people who can’t read. I now see it as I lose some, but I gained more.

“Door closing… tu tu tu tu… Apologize for any inconvenience caused”.

I seem deem fit how I should reply people on my Twitter profile. There are 3 types of people I encountered while running the system: 1) nice folks, 2) pesky users who don’t deserve and finally the busybodies.

The analogy is that of a shelter, I created & maintain it, let you use, you come in and make stupid remarks. Obviously I will get rid of you cause 1) you address to me via Twitter and 2) you are using my system. These are the 2nd type of users.

Then there are busybodies, the wannabe “social media experts“, the most annoying bunch. Sure I can ignore whatever they say. Again, if you write into my space. I will not hesitate to retaliate. It is like as if you walk into my house & tell me what to do with it.

Sure, I respect your opinions & rights to write whatever on your own blog. If it reflects badly of me to be nasty to type 2 users, then likewise, it reflects badly of these busybodies who bad-mouth others.

Note that even as I air this view, I did not use names. You came in with your pre-conceived crap social-media notions & passing your judgments on how I should do things. Sure, you have had experience in whatever fields but I frankly don’t give a damn.

I never claim to be a nice person to begin with, now you come along to tell me how to be nice and you start to be nasty because I am nasty to you. O.. how nice of you huh?

This is NOT a company/commercial operated service. I believe there is NO need to be polite with type-2 users because they are making it challenging for everyone, namely type 1 people. If you believe it is a must to be polite to stupid users then it is your problem, your beliefs but I am not buying it.

These busybodies are not even system users nor contribute anything useful in anyway, but just believe they are doing good by arguing at the expense of others. They fail to see if they pissed me off, I can jolly well shut the whole thing down since there are really no incentives in running TweetSG.

It is your problem if you believe that your business is about being well-liked or politically correct. I don’t run the system to be liked, I just want it to work for people who deserve it. And I am the judge who decides who deserves, not you.

Sure, after this nasty saga, there will be users who drop-out, in fact, I look forward to because those drop-outs are likely to be type 2. With the sign-up disabled, it is likely the system will reduce in lag and be more stable for the remaining users.

For new Twitter users, I am sorry that you can’t use. Please check out http://sgbeat.com and http://smsyo.com . Then again, these wannabes “social media experts” will say “This guy is crazy, giving users away to competition“. My point to that is, I didn’t design this system to compete.