The hashtag was invented in 2007. A former Google employee named Chris Messina came up with the idea to group information with a # sign. I admit I am probably one of the last four people on the planet to get on the hashtag bandwagon. I still don’t quite get it, who really looks up a hashtag for information?
As an experiment I tried #workout. #dog, #education and I didn’t find anything particularly appealing. While #Canada brought up a few images of things Canadian on the first page of images I clicked on, there were also many irrelevant selfies that were taken in Canada. #kettlebell did result in more interesting videos and pictures.
I had to start using a hashtag because my friends and I are doing 100daysofhappiness. We created #100daysofhappinessLWS to group our pictures (LWS for laughing with sound…everyone asks). At least once a week I like to click on the hashtag and see the conglomeration of our happiness and how we’ve stuck with it for over two months now. More recently, I followed the suggestion of WordPress and added #wponthego for a post I submitted from my smartphone. It’s interesting getting this grouping of posts that I might not see otherwise so I can get on board with the hashtag idea for certain projects or perhaps relevant things going on at the time, but are all the hashtags really used?
How do you decide which words are hashtagged? Is it just free advertising if you have a brand? If you use hashtags in your facebook or twitter posts…why????
Of course, I am now establishing #possibilityandlight. I’m thrilled that it doesn’t already exist!
Do hashtags give people power to unite, or at least give us a little bit of control and/or fame?
I leave you with this video from Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.
Possibility & Light 
#lollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollol
LikeLike
Cool topic. I think hashtags is one of those things that defines a generation. Or at least it defines my generation as #nothankson thehashtagthing. Ain’t nobody got time for all that hashing and tagging. We got too many stupid things to post on Facebook and too many games of words with friends going on.
LikeLike
Thanks, TCL. Since they morphed from the original purpose, it will be interesting to see what becomes of them next, or what other crazy idea will come along.
LikeLike
I rarely use hashtags, but if I do it’s usually to add something positive to that hashtagged group. I hope it uplifts someone. Most of my friends who use hashtags use them as a sort of clever metacommentary or a self-deprecating note. It’s often amusing. Loved the video! LOL
LikeLike
Angèle, that sounds nice. Someone told me they aren’t really being used the way it was intended, so I think that is where my confusion came from. Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙂
LikeLike