Dear Amy: The #SMEtiquette of Joining Twitter Conversations

We've all been there: We see a really cool conversation going on on Twitter and we just really want to join in. But we don't know anyone in the conversation. Today's question asks if it's OK to jump right on in.Submit your question!

Dear Amy:If I see a Twitter conversation between two people and I feel I have something to add to it, is it rude to jump in? I always feel as if I’m interrupting and being rude, but sometimes they’re people I’d really like to talk to and this is my chance.Sincerely,Ignorant about Interrupting

Dear Interrupting (it felt rude of me to call you Ignorant):Twitter is an odd place – most everything is public, yet it somehow feels as if people are constantly having personal conversations all around us.It’s been compared to a cocktail party atmosphere, and that’s pretty appropriate. Ever been the person who went to a party (cocktail or otherwise) where you didn’t know anyone and kind of stood in the corner, listening to conversations, wondering if it was rude to join in?That’s the feeling you’re having on Twitter. But the difference is that on Twitter, there’s a somewhat implicit invitation to join in any conversation – particularly if a question has been asked.How you jump in may depend on whether you have had any previous relationship or communication with any of those involved in the conversation.So, if someone asks an open question or makes a general statement, not addressed to anyone in particular, she wants anyone with the (or an) answer or response to chime in. Even if others already have, it doesn’t matter. This is someone who wants to have a conversation or get some information. Jump on in and say your piece.If your response is to share a blog post you wrote, however, that’s kind of obnoxious. Especially if you’ve never talked with this person before. So don’t just tweet, “I answered that question in this blog post! Bit.ly/spamspamspam” – actually answer the question. After communicating a bit more, you can offer that you wrote about that question once and would be happy to share the link if she desires. If your only response is to give that person something to read, you’re not likely to get very far. I guarantee you others are actually answering her question.Say there are two people having a conversation, however. They’re not asking any open questions, just talking about, say, their favorite television show. It happens to be one of your favorites, too.They comment on something that happened in the last episode, which you just loved and have been dying to talk about.Guess what? Jump right in. Add your two cents, making sure to include the Twitter handles of any people in their conversation (and hashtag if it’s being used).  Enjoy. Talk to your heart’s content.Frankly, if someone is having a conversation on Twitter and can’t handle someone she doesn’t know joining in, she probably shouldn’t be having the conversation on Twitter.Basically, there is nothing wrong about joining in a conversation on Twitter, so long as you don’t hijack it and try to take it in a new direction or spam it with your own links. Add to the conversation, share knowledge, answer a question, contribute your opinion.Will everyone appreciate your joining in? No. It’s like that cocktail party. Some people are kind of obnoxious and even though they’re having a conversation out in the open, they don’t want other people to join in. The nice thing about this being Twitter and not a cocktail party is that you don’t have to deal with them in person, and you can very easily find other people who are interested in talking to you.Enjoy.