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You know that “quote” thing people do in the air with their fingers? There’s a move afoot to introduce a similar thing for illustrating Twitter hashtags, letting fashionable media types add a “hashtag” to their conversation without actually having to say the word.
The idea is that consenting adults, when having a conversation in the real world, could indicate something is hashtaggable by crossing two fingers of both hands together, forming an urban street gesture that roughly approximates the appearance of the # key as used on the popular social network.
The idea, which makes us feel rather dirty and slightly nauseous, sounds very stupid, but we have already witnessed people casually throwing the word “hashtag” into their conversations, albeit only within the safe media bubble world of some of London’s more understanding bars.
We’re maybe only six months away from seeing this finger gesture out there in the real world. It might be a good idea to begin carrying a meat cleaver or pair of garden secateurs around with you at all times, as the only sensible course of action to take upon seeing it would be the immediate removal of the fingers of the person responsible. [Guardian]
Seriously, Please Don't Do This
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Oh god why?! At least the air-quotes actually gives a bit of added meaning to what you are saying..
I feel dirty confessing this…but I know a photo exists somewhere of me doing a hashtag sign with my fingers. Sigh.
Oh dear. The world just got that little bit colder.
Kat, I don’t know how to say this, but.. #G+Uncircle
Don’t you worry; I’m hanging my internet coat up as we speak.
No you resurrecting my account just seems like balancing the karma of your heinous sins against humanity
Is that grounds for expulsion from the real world?
Don’t worry Kat, I’m sure there are a lot of young girls who get involved in “tech” and are seduced by the bright lights and the glamour into doing things they wouldn’t otherwise have even considered. It’s good that you have confessed this to us as that means no-one can blackmail you about your shameful past. I’m sure I speak for everyone here when I say we forgive you.
Aw, there goes hashtag-gate!
I might take the brave step of releasing those sordid photos to The Sun myself. At least I might be able to make some money off them…
Well if they are going to leak out anyway, taking control of the situation in this way would probably be for the best. You can give your side of the story and try to move the focus onto your latter achievements rather than your young and naive past.
I might even consider doing a home photoshoot too. While my one bedroom south London flat is hardly the multi-roomed country pile they’d normally photograph, I think under the circumstances it should help flog many hundreds of thousands of papers!
So the question is Hello or OK, or just highest bidder?
I’m a classy bird: It’s got to be Hello!
That you are Ms Hannaford, that you are.
I know I’m going to lose the respect of Gizmodo UK commenters but:
I’ve been using this gesture for a few months now. I think it started out when the student radio station I was a part of came up with a project calle #bigplans and I used to make the gesture to refer to it. However now I do use it for other things mainly to talk about a hashtags I saw on twitter rather than hashtagging my conversation?
So when am I being outcasted?
I know I’m going to lose the respect of Gizmodo UK commenters but:
I’ve been using this gesture for a few months now. I think it started out when the student radio station I was a part of came up with a project calle #bigplans and I used to make the gesture to refer to it. However now I do use it for other things mainly to talk about a hashtags I saw on twitter rather than hashtagging my conversation.
So when am I being outcasted?
apologies for double post. thought I hadn’t clicked submit….
Kat, this is off topic and is probably going to sound a bit odd but was it you I spotted in M&S at Victoria Station last night around half 7?
Ha! No, not me I’m afraid, but I do quite often pick up dinner at that very M&S on my way home from work!
I’m not sure what’s worse, this or when people use hashtags on their facebook posts.
I’ll just have to adapt, they can use that as long as I can greet them with the question “what did the five fingers say to the face?”.
Definitely this.
Actually making a physical hashtag sign is just wrong. Putting it on facebook or on other social media/comment where it makes no sense is annoying but they are actually using your fingers to make the symbol when talking to someone. I’m pretty sure that is the most horrific thing in the world today!
#annoying
I’ve been using #corrections on here because that’s what everyone else was doing…
But using hashtags in real life is just ridiculous.
#ridiculous #reallifefail
The #corrections tag came from the US site where the hashtag worked so the editors could see what people flagged up. It doesn’t work on the UK site but it just carried on anyway.
I already cringe enough when I see people make the heart emoticon who’s not a little girl (see Day9), but this?
I’m not sure how I’ll react when I eventually see this, but hopefully I’ll be several drinks down the lane by then.
I’ve got a finger gesture for anyone I see using this..
You and me both.
I don’t want to live on this planet anymore
I don’t know what everyone is on about. I think this is a brilliant idea! It gives us a quick and easily identifiable way to pick out those b*****ds we don’t ever want to talk to.
You don’t need handshtags for that, just listen out for the “omg! I totes forgot to bring out my even MORE annoying trainers! Ell-Oh-Ell”
If you’re gonna hash tag gesture you might as well use it right http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIbnVGqYDJQ
#truestory