Do you Tweet on holiday?

happygeek 0 309 Views

I have to admit that I Tweet from pretty much anywhere and everywhere, the beauty of the medium is that you don't know if I am on the toilet or in the theatre, at my desk or naked in my bed. Or, for that matter, even on holiday. A survey from online travel site Lastminute.com reckons that British holiday makers in particular are failing to relax while vacationing because they insist on sending updates to Twitter while away.

How sitting on a beach somewhere with an iPhone in one hand and a cold drink in the other constitutes failing to relax is beyond me. Heck, sending all my friends (virtual or otherwise) a Tweet saying "having a great time, wish you were here" sure beats the hugely non-relaxing task of writing postcards to them all.

According to the Lastminute survey, around half of Brits will check email or send texts while on holiday, with 42 percent of the younger generation updating blogs or Twitter feeds. A figure that is expected to go upwards this year with the recession forcing more people to spend their holidays in the UK rather than splash out on overseas travel.

As for the suggestion that I should take a "Long Tweekend" and turn off all my gadgets for a couple of days break, have they gone mad? I probably would, go totally insane that is, if I were to be completely gadget free for 24 hours let alone a full weekend.

I take a netbook and mobile broadband dongle with me on family vacations, but I do not let it interfere with my relaxation. It just means that instead of banging my head against the wall when I cannot sleep at night (I am something of an insomniac) because I have been yanked away from my usual routine, I can immerse myself in a little late night working while the family sleeps. I take my iPhone away with me not only to be able to keep in touch in case of emergencies with friends and family alike, but also to keep in touch with my wider virtual network of friends. I actually find it relaxing to share my thoughts and discoveries with people like this, what's wrong with that?

At least I now know that I am not alone, that a large number of folk are actually just the same as me. Which begs the question, do you Tweet on holiday?

Dani AI

Generated

As notes, posting from holiday is perfectly normal — it can be fun and keeps friends in the loop. A few simple precautions make it safe and let the holiday stay relaxing rather than risky.

Turn off or strip location data in photos before you post. On iPhone and macOS you can disable Camera access to Location Services and remove existing location metadata when you share; the OS also offers a quick option to stop sharing location with an image. For advice on geotags and why they matter, see Apple’s guide and the eSafety Commissioner’s note on photo locations. Law-enforcement guidance also warns that broadcasting “I’m away” can invite burglars and may even affect insurance claims, so think twice before live-checking in. (support.apple.com)

If the goal is to keep posting without being glued to your phone, schedule updates in advance. Tools like Buffer make it easy to draft and queue tweets so the account stays active while you actually relax. When you must go online, avoid untrusted public Wi‑Fi: use mobile data or a reputable VPN, enable two‑factor auth, and never enter banking details over open hotspots. Local police cyber-advice also recommends these basic steps. (buffer.com)

Quick checklist (works in under a minute):

  • Disable Camera location or turn off Location Services for the Camera app.
  • When sharing photos, use the share-options to remove location metadata.
  • Wait to post “I’m away” / check-ins until you’re home, or schedule them instead.
  • Set profiles private for the trip and review your friends/followers list.
  • Use scheduling tools to avoid constant online time.
  • Avoid public Wi‑Fi for sensitive tasks; use mobile data or a VPN and carry a power bank.

These steps let tweeting feel like an extra holiday perk rather than a risk.

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