Twitter spaces when used correctly can be a magnificent tool for communication, marketing and just having fun. There are good ways to be a Twitter Host and there are bad ways to be a Twitter Host, I’m going to use this blog post to explain the difference between the two options. First a little background on how I started hosting Twitter Spaces. I’ve had a Twitter account since 2009. I’ve had several Twitter accounts permanently suspended because of my political activism. Twitter doesn’t take kindly to anyone who is a liberal, a democrat, or someone who is actively tweeting for causes. I fit the bill on all of those topics. I left Twitter in 2015 and returned 9 months ago. Nothing has really changed on Twitter except the addition of Twitter Spaces.
Twitter Spaces is a tool that can be used for group chat. It’s relatively new to the Twitter platform. You can schedule a Twitter Space for some time in the future or you can start a Twitter Space immediately. You can invite people via DM or a text that announces your Twitter Space or people can search the Twitter Spaces billboard and find your Twitter Space, then join as a listener or request a mic and become a speaker. Any account can start a Twitter Space and be the Host of that Space. I stated above a Twitter Space could be used for business purposes such as marketing or it can be used to talk about current events/topics. Twitter Spaces can also be used to just goof off and have fun. How you use your Twitter Space, what purpose you’re choosing to accomplish, is entirely up to the host. Which brings me to the subject of Hosting.
The person who starts a Twitter Space automatically becomes the host of that Twitter Space. You are allowed up to two co-hosts, and having a co-host is a necessary advantage to hosting a Space. Hosting a Space with two co-hosts mean you can invite more people up to speak from The Listener position. A co-host is also a good option to help you moderate and control your Space. The co- host job consist of helping you control the trolls and people who come into your Space who may want to cause trouble. If you have a raised hand policy in your Space, co-host keep the order of raised hands so people can speak in an orderly fashion. A co-host can help you keep track of whose hand was raised first and what order to follow allowing them to speak. Another important job of a co-host is to keep track of people who request a mic and allow them”to be brought up” to speak.
A good host will understand that they are not the focus of attention in a Space and they shouldn’t take a lot of time speaking or trying to control the flow of that Space. You must remember that as host you are a moderator. The topic of your space will determine what is talked about in your Space. Your job as host is to guide how the conversation goes and how the people flow in and out of conversation in your Space. I have been present in some Spaces where the host does all the talking not allowing anybody else the opportunity to speak. In my opinion the key to having a good space is controlling the space but allowing people to feel comfortable, to talk and share and exchange ideas. It is a fine line you walk as a Host knowing the difference between moderating a Space and being the topic of conversation in your Space.
The raised hand policy always works best for me, but as a Space host you choose how you want to run your Space. I was in a Space just today where I raised my hand to relate an incident I experienced as a Space Host. The co-host acknowledged that my hand was raised but said instead he was going to go to The Host, who had their hand raised, and let them speak and then get back to me. After the host spoke, someone else who did not have their hand raised jumped in to respond to what the host said. This is a common mistake made by people who Host and co-host Spaces. A raised hand should always be acknowledged. If someone wants to chime in on what the previous speaker said, BUT DID NOT HAVE THEIR HAND RAISED, that person should wait until after the raised hand has been acknowledged and given their opportunity to speak.
Not every Space should be run on a raised hand policy. If you have a Space that’s all about having fun and all about open conversation and all about people laughing and enjoying themselves, the order of a raised hand policy may not apply to that Space. A lot of things about Space hosting depends on the topic of your Space, the tone of your Space and the people who come into that Space expecting to honor the topic of conversation. For instance, if the topic of your Space is about the Abortion issue, that’s a serious topic and should be handled in a serious way. If you’re holding a space about the Oscars slap by Will Smith on Chris Rock, that is a comical and fun type of topic… It might not be necessary to follow a raised hand policy for such a Space.
This is a personal opinion and might not be what anybody else wants to follow as a Space Host but I do not like a Space that is being held to drag people, held for doxxing people, or sitting around in a Space being toxic AND discussing people in negative ways. There have been several Spaces I wandered into where people were in that space specifically to be negative and nasty toward other Twitter accounts. I would suggest avoiding a space like that all together, finding a space more suited to your needs…. unless your needs are to be negative and nasty. My rules about a Space are: Be kind, leave the negativity outside of my Spaces, be polite and mindful of the rules the Space Host has posted. Never cut somebody off. What you have to say may be important to yourself but it is not important enough to the person talking for you to cut them off in mid sentence. Wait your turn and be respectful as a speaker. Arguing in a space is unacceptable personally as a Space Host. Overtaking can be detrimental to people on the autism spectrum. The overtalking might send them into a episode. I avoid allowing overtalking totally to accommodate those on the autistic spectrum.
If I don’t appreciate the way a Space is being Hosted I leave that Space. That is my prerogative. If you want to be a good Space Host you will not cause people to leave because of your inability to Host your Space fairly an objectively. Many Space Host will have their friends come into their Spaces, that’s okay as long as you don’t allow your friends any special privileges. As I stated earlier, if your Space is all about having fun, the rules that would apply for Hosting a serious Space, do not apply.
Hopefully this blog post will help you with becoming a Space Host or a better Space Host. Also keep in mind these are my pet peeves and may not apply to any other Space Host or any other Space. Twitter Spaces are used for a plethora of reasons but the most important thing about Twitter Spaces is to have fun, try not to hurt anybody’s feelings, and be respectful of the people in your Space. Have fun, enjoy being a Space Host, and remember that you are in charge of your Space. Until next time, Thank You for reading Just Another Blog by Just Another Blogger.
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