Paul Krugman Isn’t on Twitter Because He Can’t Control His Inner Demons

New York Magazine ^ | Dan Amira

[nickcarraway]

Holding back the demons.

For the Olds of the New York Times, writing about the dangers and flaws of Twitter is becoming something of an obsession. First there was executive editor Bill Keller, who bemoaned that Twitter is "nibbling away at our attention spans" and "displacing real rapport and real conversation." Next up was columnist Joe Nocera, who avoids Twitter because people might say mean things to him. Today it's Paul Krugman's turn.

[Red Badger]

Or he can’t control his thumbs while they are in his mouth?......

[JRios1968]

Meh...Krugman (or his tripe) is (or was) on Twitter under @NYTimesKrugman

[Cyber Liberty]

FTA (Krugman): "I don’t think I have any demons like that, but who knows?" (emphasis in the original)

You highlighted the correct word, Mr. Krugman

[Tanniker Smith]

One problem I have with twitter: I use it to announce updates to my blog (usually new comics) and I generally direct people to respond on the blog. It gets a lot of traffic,but there isn’t a lot of dialogue. Someone retweeted my link this morning and someone else responded with 6 tweets. One wasnt sufficient. He’s an educator, mind you, and should know better.

I was going to respond, but I keep responses to under 140 characters — less because of the user IDs. I don’t like multiple tweets. And, of course,I’d prefer to respond on the blog because that’s why it’s there. But I have to wait for the conversation start.

[GeronL]

comics?

[tanknetter]

iirc the comments sections of Krugman’s op eds were shut down at one point because he’d actually wade into fights with people challenging his assertions and go berserk upon getting his a&& kicked.

The guy is allegedly very thin skinned and HATES being challenged. Not that it shows through in his pieces (sarc) ...

[pluvmantelo]

One of the commenters at the article came up with the real reason Paul won’t tweet.

---

On Twitter, if you have thousands
of followers (as Krugman most certainly would),
you will have every kind of agenda reacting to
everything you say...

---

In other words, unlike on his blog where he exerts iron control on the comments, on twitter he can’t control the responses to his ponderings.

[Tanniker Smith]

I’m a math teacher. Matey/geeky/school life comic strips. I would hope that some of them would lead to a discussion, but not in twitter.

[Madame Dufarge]

Most definitely.

[justlurking]

I’m a math teacher. Matey/geeky/school life comic strips.

I hope you include xkcd. And the companion site: What If?

There is also PhD, but that is more about graduate school politics.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Or up his ass.