Virtual Suicide
How can one die virtually? On Twitter it's known as "twittercide". Deletion of your account without any goodbye. Online deletion of blogs, email addresses, Facebook pages, and websites is another way of committing online suicide. Unless you know a person's real last name and perhaps where they live, it's nearly impossible to find them again.
I went through my entire list of followers on Twitter today, and learned that a few of them had committed Twittercide. One of which I thought was a very good friend. He deleted his blog and email address. I knew he was struggling. Struggling to feel something other than depression. It's only speculation if he "reincarnated" himself on Twitter as a different account. I feel bad about it, because he helped me find two people that had also reincarnated themselves after twittercide. Now I can't find him. I don't remember his last name because I respected his privacy and didn't push for him to reveal it. All I have is a picture to remind myself of him and the brief time I got to know him. He was hilarious!
There's a question I ask myself whenever this happens. How "real" are these virtual people on Twitter or on other sites? They are more than a user name and avatar to me. True, they can misrepresent themselves and weave lies. Their picture may not be their own. They may not even be the sex they led you to believe. I find myself being careful how far I let people from social websites into my life, into my world. I've heard horror stories from others long ago in the 90s with the dawn of CompuServe and AOL. I learned plenty back then to ferret out the liars from the white liars.
I know that everyone lies in the virtual world. It could be something simple as hiding your weight, to omitting the fact you are married with children. I have only come across one sociopath in my lifetime (that I'm aware of). I had to deal with it when I was a sysop of one of the forums on Compuserve. This woman, which I came to believe was not one, decided to join the forum and began slowly gathering information from our thousand plus members. By the time I realized what this person was doing, they had started a flame war and was harassing a member of ours by calling them at all hours of the day and night. It's a sad world when a few like that ruin it for the rest of us who really want to trust, have fun, and make a connection with someone.
Then there are the few that I talk to every day and miss when they're gone. The laughs, the virtual hugs, and eventually the serious conversation behind the scenes that makes me miss them when they're gone. I'm not talking sexual or even intimate conversations. It's the pain laid bare, the fear, the longing, the conversation that cannot be told to another person. It's just that private and genuine.
There have been a few I tracked down that came back to Twitter. It's one of those hopeless searches, because deep down you know the chances of finding them again is slim. It's exciting when you are able to find them and then tell them to never do that again. It's so disheartening to discover someone deleted their account and disappeared forever.
I miss the few I couldn't catch. I hope you're alright. I'm glad to have gotten to know you. You've all changed my life in some manner. I'll miss you, terribly.
Posted by kitterztoo at 1/10/2011 9:25 PM 
Categories: Twitter
Tags: memories online relationship twitter Twittercide Virtual suicide friends
Categories: Twitter
Tags: memories online relationship twitter Twittercide Virtual suicide friends
I miss you too.
Reply to this
Gary!!! I knew you were gone for a while, but like you, I've been quite a mess in 2010. I miss you so much. If you decide Twitter isn't for you, please email me, or let me pass on my email address to you through our mutual friend. I don't think you owe anyone an apology. You were only doing what you thought was the best for you. There's no need to apologize for that.
Sometimes I get that feeling something isn't right, and when I check my follower list, I noticed you weren't a part of it. Which is why I wrote this blog. Even though you think you don't have any impact on someone else's life, I'm here to tell you, you have. Two other people were looking for you from twitter as soon as I mentioned your name. One committed twittercide and came back with a slightly altered ID. I'll pass it on to our mutual friend. Thank you so much for coming to read this blog! It came about from me searching for you. I meant every word. (hug)
Reply to this