Hashtagology 101 - A Slightly Slanted New Lexicon for a #HashtaggedWorld

The word hashtag is part of the modern lexicon, even earning a definition in the Oxford Dictionary. We were recently having a conversation about creating a hashtag for an upcoming client event. As one team member pointed out, it’s all about creating a mechanism to track a conversation. Granted, this has to be kept in the context of social media, and with the limits placed on conversations on certain platforms (Twitter’s 140 character count for instance), but it seems to me that the concept of hashtags and hashtagging could easily become about more than that. So in the interest of wasting time on a Friday afternoon, here are some potential outgrowths of the use of hashtags to further the proverbial conversation and expand its fundamental usage and lexicology far beyond reasonable or practical usage:

·         Hashtagology – the study of hashtags and their use in social conversations

·         Hashtagographer – a person that studies hashtags and probably makes a living as a social media expert. Probably needs a bit more sun.

·         Hashtagimifcation – the point when the hashtag becomes the thing, instead of the thing that is was originally created to support

·         Hashtagterbation – a series of tweets between a certain set of people that includes an increasing number of conversational specific tweets relevant to this conversation only

·         Hashtaggery – the creation of a hashtag to see how far and wide it travels across social networks (i.e. a Twitterific game of tag)

·         Hashtaganigans – creation of a hashtag specifically designed to tweek someone else, all in fun of course. For mean usage, see next entry.

·         Hashtagslapped – the twitter version of the B@!CH slap, only used by “mean girls” and wannabes

·         Hashtagvolent – the hashtag to be used to describe the people who regularly and maliciously hashtagslap others or better known as people that need a #realitycheck #timeout

·         Hashtagtentious – arrogant or pretentious use of hashtags, used just to show how smart someone thinks they are, or might be #aintnoeinstein

·         Hashtagologist – a combination of connected hashtags used in tweets that all make a specific point, but when used independently aren’t very appealing (like a French Gimlet, when all ingredients are mixed together, it’s a cool drink on summer afternoon but independently don’t make a lot of sense to drink by themselves. I mean, who drinks St-Germain?)

·         Hashtagged – when a hashtag is created to call attention to a specific person or event, or if a person is called out specifically at an event (e.g., #NorthWest, #DennisRodmanNKorea)

·         Hashtagaphobe – someone, maybe someone reasonable, that has an unnatural fear of hashtags

·         Hashtagaddict – someone that uses hashtags for everything, including usage outside of social networks #rockstardefinition

·         Hashtagelicious – a wonderful new hashtag created that is just too good not to share or use

·         Hashtagitude – when a hashtag is used as the equivalent of two snaps up (e.g. #WhatHaveYouDoneForMeLately #GetBackToWork, #Rude, #waitaminutenow) and you know who I’m talking about @JMcDonaldPR

·         Hashtagified – mostly used in the Southern United States, used to mean that a concept has been used to death and is now on its deathbed

Any and all others are welcome until this topic is #hashtagified #jumptheshark.