Acknowledging the process
1. Coffee.
We have several ways of making coffee in our house. The one that gets the most use is a Gevalia coffee maker (we had a Cuisinart, but I forgot to take some old grounds out when we went out of town for a week and Bad Things Happened). It’s pretty basic: you put the water and grounds in, press a button, and ten minutes later you have a pot of coffee. If I’m really inclined, I can pre-load the grounds and the water, and program it to turn on at a certain time. (The clock is currently blinking 12:00, largely because I don’t use the programming system.)
The other major way to make coffee is an espresso machine. Where the Gevalia is set-and-forget, the espresso machine requires pretty much constant attention. To make a latte (the variety of espresso coffee that we drink), you need to
- Make sure the water reservoir is full.
- Pre-heat the steam chamber.
- Load espresso grounds into the filter. Pack the grounds gently.
- When the steam chamber is ready (a light goes from blue to green), fill the measuring cup with milk, place it under the steam nozzle, and turn the steam dial to full.
- Carefully monitor the steaming milk to make sure that it’s not scalding. Foam it by tilting and moving the cup.
- When the milk is heated and foamed, place two shot glasses under the filter, turn off the steamer, and turn on the espresso maker proper.
- One shot glass will fill faster than the other. When the first is full all the way, move the second glass so that it’s being filled by both streams.
- When the second glass is full, turn off the espresso maker.
- Pour the espresso in the shot glasses into the desired mug. Follow with the (hopefully not too de-foamed) milk.
- While the milk and the coffee mix, clean off the steam nozzle with a damp cloth, and dump out and rinse the grounds filter.
- “It’s easier to tell who retweeted.”
- “I can add a comment if I want.”
- “I get confused by unfamiliar userpics popping up in my feed.”
- “I want to see the retweeter as the source.”
- “If it’s too long to RT, only then will I use the new.”
On the one hand, there’s a lot to be said for being able to dump some grounds and water in, press a button, and then have coffee available whenever I want it (at least until I drain the pot).
On the other hand, I really like lattes, and they get me going in the morning far better than standard coffee does.
(On the gripping hand, milk is cheaper than coffee grounds, and lattes use more milk and less coffee than the Gevalia does.)
Plus, if I make a latte, I get to be part of the process. Instead of just walking away and coming back when the coffee robot is done its job, I’m actually the one making the coffee. If it’s a great latte, it’s because I made it that way. It’s very satisfying to drink that latte, and that’s probably why it does such a good job of perking me up.
2. Twitter.
I just ran a quick straw poll on Twitter:
Do you prefer to see “classic” or “new” retweets in your timeline? Which do you prefer to use? On both questions, why?
“New” retweets are the inline ones – if you use the new retweet, you can’t edit the tweet, and it shows up in your timeline as from the original user. “Classic” retweets are the kind where you actually say “RT @etherjammer: Do you prefer to see…”; you can edit the tweet, and it shows up in your timeline as from you.
The drawback to new RTs is that you don’t get to add your thoughts, and they don’t show up in the original user’s “Mentions” – in fact, the API doesn’t seem to provide an interface for gathering them at all. The drawback to the old RTs is that if you’re trying to retweet a long tweet, you’re going to have to truncate it to get it all in. (I know a lot of people who actually advocate keeping your tweets to 140 – (5 + the length of your username) characters, to make it easier for people to retweet you.)
There’s something to be said for set-and-forget RTs. You don’t have to worry about whether you should add your thoughts or whether you need to truncate the tweet – you can’t, and you know that the original tweet fit the guidelines so it’ll fit in your timeline without editing. Plus, it’s a single button-click – push the button, and the system does the work. But the original RT system gives you the opportunity to interact and be part of the process, and that shows on the far side.
By the way, the results of my straw poll? 100% in favor of “classic” retweets (except for one friend who doesn’t like retweets at all). Nobody who replied likes the new style (which, incidentally, is the style that I’ve been using for the last few months).
3. Process and agency.
My latte tastes better than my drip coffee in part because I’m the one who made it. I’m involved in the process and so I’m engaged. Even when it’s just a cup of coffee, it makes a difference.
My classic RTs are better received by my audience because they know I’m involved in the process. My engagement engages them. That makes a difference too.
If something as simple as a cup of coffee or a retweet can be affected directly by your engagement, what else could you improve by being part of the process instead of just letting the machine do the work?
I use TweetDeck, so even when I use the “new” RTs, I get the option to edit the RT (which of course then becomes a “classic” RT). But I appreciate having that flexibility.
I don’t have an espresso machine. :( However, my Braun drip coffeemaker does use a thermal carafe, so I can bring that upstairs with me instead of me having to traipse downstairs each time I need to refill my mug!
O noz! What about French press?
@Jess, we have a French press and a manual drip pot. Both are in the middle of the spectrum: they take more work than a robot but less than espresso, and produce mediocre coffee. :)
@Steve Hall/Kestrel, I’d love a thermal carafe so much!
Also, thank you for the new-style RT. ;)