Today, 175+ cities across the world are hosting “Twestivals” in an effort to bring Twitterers and non-Twitters alike together to drink and meet each other. Really? All of these people will be tweeting about being at a Twestival but no one will get it because they’ll be at a Twestival as well. I’m wondering if the world will finally rid itself of evangelical Twits as they simultaneously combust from the tweeting while at a Twestival and reading the tweets of other twits at a Twestival. Perhaps it will be my head that will explode.

In seriousness, I have a tough time bashing this one because they really are trying to do something for a good cause. They are raising money for charity:water. At the time of this post (840pm on Feb 12, the day of the Twestival), they have raised over $13,000. Hats off to Twestival for doing something good. 

However, as a guy who makes a living consulting to nonprofit groups I must admit that this is a pathetic showing. It will get all sorts of press (in fact, I saw a blog posting on it the other day and a friend told me about it today because they heard about it on the radio), which is nice for the charity. Hopefully, there will be a lift in additional gifts. But $13k? For 175+ cities?  Let me check my math…that’s about $75 per Twestival. Come on, Twitter Nation…can’t you do better than that?

Because I feel guilty about posting on Twestivals tonight, I’ll do my part and throw my $5 at charity:water - that’s the suggested amount on the twestival site. But now I’m beginning to wonder…maybe this is a brilliant move to get a bunch of followers that they can tweet their way into guilting for additional donations later?? 

I’m sure my non-profit consulting brethren will tout the rousing success of Twestivals and point to the inevitable rise of fundraising on Twitter. In my heart, I’m hopeful. But it is exactly the noise around commercial messaging, fundraising solicitation, and ‘who cares’ tweets about useless personal conversation that may very well be the downfall of Twitter.

I’m getting way too philosophical. Let’s get back to bashing Twitter. 

The funniest thing about Twestival day is the completely ridiculous location of one of the Twestivals. Get this - SecondLife. Let’s think about that for a minute. Twitter evangelists going WAY out of their way to log on to SecondLife and participate in a Twestival. Are you kidding me? 

OK, I admit. I don’t think much of SecondLife (surprise!). I couldn’t graduate past the orientation you go through in guiding your avatar through the test streets to even be granted access to the actual community. I’m so ashamed as a failure. Hey, I may not be able to get into SecondLife but I bet I could kick any kid’s ass at Pac Man. 

I digress. Twestival at SecondLife? Just let that sink in a little bit and tell me it isn’t some sign of the apocalypse. 

Enough for tonight. Good luck to Twestival and charity: water. It will provide fodder for Twitter nation and that much more fodder for us TwitterBashers.

Don’t forget to submit your Terrible Tweets of the Day!

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Terrible Tweet of the Day goes to Fuse, suitably nominating a worthless tweet on Groundhog Day. You’ve got to read the article to get the full story on how a rodent tweeted about his shadow today. Really? Get a life. 

Check out the article HERE

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Had to pass this one along from Crunch Gear

The gist: “How Much Are You Worth on Twitter” - Crunch Gear has about 53 posts (or at least it seems like that many) per day on Twitter and Facebook. Many wonder if they are on the Twitter payroll. Anyway, this latest entry is about a new site called Twitter Value that measures how much your tweets are worth. Really? Where do I collect a check?

Now people can not only tweet like worthless twits, they can have some fictitious value placed on their worthless tweets! Fantastic! Maybe we should start assigning some sort of debt that worthless tweeters owe us for reading their trash. Any guess who is #1? Of course, it’s our new President. Hey, his tweets may not be worthless but I sort of doubt he’s actually updating us via his Barack Berry. Something tells me its his PR machine. Out of respect for the office of the President, we’ll leave him alone and not bash his tweets. 

Anyway, check out TweetValue and see how much you are worth - then come back and tell us if you’d like. For fun, we should check out some annoying tweeters and see how much they are worth - and send them a bill.

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Twitter. Tweets. Whatever.

Are you tired of feeling uncool because you aren’t tweeting every worthless thing about your day? Do you secretly think twitter is ridiculous but don’t speak up because you are afraid of being flamed on some social network that you haven’t heard of yet or don’t understand? If so, you’ve found a sanctuary. Follow us on our quest to bash twitter and expose the truth about its worthlessness.

TwitterBashers is busy group of folks that are deafened by the noise about how great twitter is and how neat it is to read about how its changing the world. In 140 characters or less, here’s what we have to say to twitter nation: Get a life.

We’ll be adding posts here about how twitter is just the latest fad and will become nothing more than permission-based spam. Soon, twitter nation will become tired of being constantly interrupted only to hear about how their best friend from pre-school can’t figure out what to wear or what the latest marketing guru has to say for the 14th time today or that some lucky customer just bought the last pair of purple Crocs at Shoe Warehouse World. iPhone batteries will lose their charge from all the worthless tweets in the world and twitter fans will become TwitterBashers. 

No more tinyurls for tinyminds. TwitterBashers unite. Tell us your story. 

A feature we look forward to sharing soon is the ‘Terrible Tweet of the Day’. TwitterBashers around the world can soon submit the most ridiculous tweets for all of us to mock. Expose the shameless self-promoters who are getting paid to tweet about twitter. Poke fun at that dork you never really liked from high school who suddenly has a megaphone to the world as they tweet about their latest ingrown toenail. Vent about the marketers that think you’ll find their double-top-secret sale compelling enough to buy those Halloween socks you’ve never wanted. Coming soon - “Terrible Tweet of the Day”.

Check back soon as we fully launch TwitterBashers - unless you’re too busy tweeting to have a real life.

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