Twitter is 'a waste of time' - says Sir Alex Ferguson
Twitter is 'a waste of time' - says Sir Alex FergusonManchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that he could ban his players from using Twitter after branding the social network "a waste of time".
Earlier this week United forward and England international Wayne Rooney caused controversy after warning an abusive Twitter user that he would put him "asleep within 10 seconds" in a fight.
Rio Ferdinand is the most prolific Tweeter in the club's squad with more than a million followers, while several hundred thousand Twitter users follow his team-mate Michael Owen.
Ferguson, 69, admitted that he does not understand how Twitter works and indicated that the club is investigating whether it should be banned among players.
"I don't know why anybody can be bothered with that stuff," he said.
"How do you find the time to do that? There are a million things you can do in your life without that. Get yourself down to the library and read a book. Seriously. It is a waste of time.
"It seems to have a certain momentum at the moment. Everyone seems to want to do it."
Several footballers have already found themselves reprimanded by the Football Association for comments made on Twitter.
West Ham's Carlton Cole and Danny Gabbidon were fined for Twitter comments while former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel landed himself in hot water after posting a mocked up picture of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt.
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Comments
69 year old man thinks new technology is a waste of time shocker
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Sir Alex already has a massive audience, for his every word – TV, online, press and is big enough to ignore BBC and ITV.
For him it would be a waste of time and a way of incurring even more fines.
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Twitter is the modern day equivalent of writing on the back of a toilet door or scratching your name into a tree.
Why does anyone think that anyone else in the world gives a bollocks about their incoherent ramblings and moronic observations?
If you drop the 'T' you exactly what it is. There's more relevance and intellect in a fart.
Re the toilet door analogy - it is a wee bit like that - apart from the fact that that tens of thousands, even millions of people see what's been written in real time, by someone who's not anonymous. Most people who hate Twitter have never used it, or don't understand it. And without being ageist, he is old as fuck.
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Anon 15:21 Having a big audience does not make something useful or prove it's worth.
For example millions of people watch 'Loose Women'.
I waste so much time on it everyday.
But one thing I don't waste my time on is watching a load of overpaid oafs shoving a ball around a field, now that really is a waste of time. Is that my 140 characters yet?
There's nothing wrong with Twitter as a tool - in fact it's a brilliant way of communicating instantly to a wide audience.
The problem with Twitter, is that 98% of the people who use it, use it to post banal, mundane, pointless crap - making noise for the sake of making noise.
Of all the people who I follow on Twitter (which is a lot) I can count on the finger of one finger, how many Tweets have had any point to them.
I've got plenty of business through Twitter, with some very decent brands. Folks like you make it easier for me to get it. Cheers for that!
'Having a big audience does not make something useful' - if you think this is true mate, you're in the wrong game. Of course having a big audience is useful - it's where you put the advertising so lots of people see it. Fucking muppet.
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What are you on about Anon 16:39? Obviously a big audience is useful.
However my point was having a big audience does not by default make something useful.
Why don't you go and visit Miss Piggy, Kermit.
If this is the case, why did you say 'Having a big audience does not make something useful' - you said it mate not me.
So for it to work as a business and marketing tool 98% is banal, bollocks and shite and 2% is useful? How do I sift the 98% of moronic, listen to me, I follow celebs, not got a life , sad bastsrds then? I don't often agree with Sir Taggart but I think he has a point based on the 'facts'.
The only people who think Twitter and social media in general is the brave new world of marketing are those with a vested interest in it - those flogging their services to provide it.
It's snake oil salesman in Gucci specs. And if you don't think that's true, do this simple test.
Look at your own social media activity, and then list how many times it has prompted you to actually buy something! Or put it another way, if social media didn't exist, would you have still bought it anyway.
How do you find the time to go on twitter??
Ask you players SAF!
Try not giving them every afternoon off!
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