Whereas in the past, the author of a huge article was answered with “Didn’t read LOL”, an expression that has become typical of web folklore, the Internet user is forced to refuse to use or listen to a voice tweet, for the simple and good reason that its form in itself prevents any dialogue.
The vocal in public is now indistinguishable from its polemical aspect. A mechanism that is not new – it is also present in private messaging. Some people denounce this verbal attack, where the interlocutor cannot add his or her point of view. Surviving the era of lies) (Armand Colin, 2020).
Survivre à l’ère du mensonge (Ethics of Sincerity. “The voice message is very egotistical, we subject the other to a message”, says the researcher, author of the essay Éthique de la sincérité. We’re no longer in the age of presenteeism, we’re in the age of instantaneousness” It’s normally tit for tat, but with voice tweets you can’t see anything. “Twitter’s native format is that of jousting. A strategic mistake?įor Elsa Godart, philosopher at Gustave Eiffel University, the specific grammar of the social network does not allow good integration of voice tweets: The voice is in a ‘state of limbo’, neither really intimate because it is aimed at a specific audience, nor really totally public. In reality, there is a misunderstanding about the rise of orality on the web 2.0. The vocal trend is starting to be strong on Instagram, and in private conversations generally, but has not caught on in public conversations”. “The idea of voice tweets was a response to the vocal trend, in search of sound, but it doesn’t really meet users’ needs. Further proof of the impasse that voice alone constitutes, for the consultant:
Back-pedaling is immediate: Twitter announces the forthcoming integration of subtitles in voice tweets. Moderation after the event that makes you gnash your teeth. A legitimate debate since there can be more problems with voice than in text”, analyses Emmanuelle Patry, marketing strategy consultant. “There has been quite a debate about moderation. In order to understand the reasons for the profound lack of interest in this functionality, we can first of all cite some very pragmatic reasons. Family conversations on WhatsApp, arguments on Messenger, our whole social life can now be summed up in these little voice capsules that have managed to combine the convenience of the answering machine with the short side of digital messages. “It’s a whole generation, born with new technologies, which prefers to communicate by voice messages”, we could already read in the columns of Figaro in 2019. More specifically, Twitter’s bet was to ride the voicemail boom. Voice tweets therefore seemed to have everything needed to fit in with the times without too much difficulty. “One thing is certain, the revolution will be podcasted”, humorist Augustin Shackelpopoulos gently mocks in his show, DAVA 8. In recent years, podcasts have emerged, voice assistants have become mainstream – in short, the “vocal turn” of the Internet has gradually taken shape. The observation is implacable: voice tweets are a semi-failure. “Remember voice tweets? Lmao”, questions the murderous title of Mashable, echoing a number of perplexed internet users. “The first voice tweets are a failure”, writes editorial project manager Niri Brusa. Quickly abandoned, the functionality seems to be reduced to niche uses. They immediately arouse criticism and incomprehension. In 2020, Twitter decides to develop voice tweets, which allow you to tweet not through writing but with your own voice.