Why Does Plurk Seem to Provoke So Much Drama?

The latest edition of SL Secrets (like PostSecret, only SLier) is now up on Shopping Cart Disco, and it includes this drama-ridden confession. It's for precisely outbursts like this that Miss Metaverse Manners wrote an advice guide to dealing with Plurk drama (click here to read it.)

Much of the drama on Plurk, of course, actually originates over various Second Life controversies (allegations of content theft, complaints about various fashion designers, etc.), but I have to wonder if Plurk's very structure lends itself to drama. Unlike Twitter or Facebook, where the update timeline is vertical, Plurk's is horizontal and expands into conversation threads, and once you reply to an individual Plurk, it's easy to return to it by clicking Responded. This makes Plurk chattier than Twitter and Facebook, and more chat means more chances for drama. Add to that, most SLers on Plurk often jump between talking about their real and Second Life, which likely causes severe mismatches from update to update, that can also provoke resentment. ("Why is she blathering about her new fashion line, when I just Plurked that my husband is leaving me?")

Just my initial take - what's yours, fellow Plurkers?

Comments

[Cajsa Lilliehook]

While I do think Plurk is easier for conversation and casual group chatting, I don't think it is more drama-ridden than other social media. I think the amount of drama one sees and possibly even participates depends on the amount of time one spends on a particular social media platform. If you hang out in Twitter for hours a day, there's drama. If you're a Facebook warrior, there's drama. The drama level you see is not based on the platform, but the amount of time one spends on a platform.

[Franklin Lubitsch]

The Plurk format may enable drama, but more importantly, it does enable conversation in general. Much more so than FB. I thoroughly enjoy the chat/conversation/discussion/give and take that Plurk provides. As I remember, I've even gone a couple rounds with you on Plurk, Hamlet :-)

Social is best served by making conversation easier. I'll take Plurk over the others any day!

[Tateru Nino]

I've yet to see any self-entitled whining on Plurk.