Twitter experienced one of its biggest outages in recent memory Tuesday when its app and website went down for many users.
Twitter, of course, is typically the first place people go to complain about anything Twitter-related (see Twitter hearts and that blue dot in the Moments tab. It's also the first stop when Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Slack or any other major service has issues.
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But since Twitter is the de facto social network for complaining when services go down, an extended Twitter outage presents the additional existential problem of figuring out how and where you should send your rage-filled tweets during the downtime.
When you find out Twitter is down and you realize you have no friends in real life anymore. pic.twitter.com/91mubiRDYC— The Refined Ruffian (@CulturedRuffian) January 19, 2016
Where are you meant to go to complain about Twitter being down when twitter is down? Very dissapointed in the developers for this fault.— New Year, New Daniel (@TheBreadEnigma) January 19, 2016
When Twitter is down and you can't tweet about it #twitterdown pic.twitter.com/d7t99ojAmf— Tim Baxter (@TimBaxter) January 19, 2016
We've compiled a handy guide on where and how you should complain about Twitter when you aren't able to actually tweet. Keep reading for our best tips on how best to share your rage about Twitter elsewhere on social media.
Facebook, of course, is the obvious place to turn to first. Given that it's the most popular social network in the world, chances are high that if you're on Twitter, you also have a Facebook account. And, as we saw Tuesday, Twitter users have no problem bringing their complaints to Facebook.
Use this if: You want the people you know IRL to know how frustrated you are.
Tip: Facebook's ever-changing News Feed algorithm means you can never be completely sure of how many of your friends will actually see your posts so set your posts to public for optimal visibility and don't forget those hashtags.
Tumblr
Always a great forum for angsty complaints, Tumblr will help you work through the flood of emotions you experience when Twitter goes down. Better still, Tumblr's users are known for being a supportive bunch, so you're likely to find at least a few sympathetic ears.
Use this if: You want to vent your frustration in the form of GIFs, black and white selfies, fan fiction or any combination thereof.
Tip: Use Tumblr's built-in GIF search or Tumblr TV to find the reaction GIF that perfectly captures TFW Twitter is down.
Peach
Peach may be the youngest social network on this list but the app's feed is structured similarly to Twitter -- with updates from people you follow appearing in reverse chronological order -- which makes it the perfect temporary Twitter replacement. You can share text updates, sketches, GIFs and a range of other types of serious and nonsensical messages.
Use this if: You're feeling creative and don't mind sharing GIFs chosen for you by the Peach bots. You're okay with no direct messaging features.
Tip: Brush up on Peach's Magic Words to see all the ways you can share updates with friends.
Square photos may not seem like the best medium to replace Twitter but, like Facebook, Instagram's ubiquity means you have the potential to reach a lot of people at once. It also forces you to get slightly more creative with your sadness.
Use this if: You prefer to post photos of your sentiment but still love hashtags.
#Twitterisdown #Twitter #twitternotworking #breakingnews A photo posted by Brandon Richard (@brandonlrichard) on Jan 19, 2016 at 5:15am PST
Tip: Check out Instagram's advanced search features to find trending topics and like-minded users. And don't forget to choose the right filter.
Snapchat
Snapchat's ephemerality can make it the perfect medium for complaining. It's quick and creative and your complaints aren't likely to stick around longer than 24 hours.
Use this if: You like to express your frustrations with doodle-covered selfies.
Tip: If you're still a Snapchat novice, learn how to apply multiple filters, resurrect old lenses and add extra text to your Snaps to take them to the next level.