Where can I find out more information about Twitter on Paper?
Consult the About page.
Isn’t this the About page?
Yes, it is.
How does Twitter on Paper work?
Twitter on Paper is a new service that allows you to request paper editions of tweets. ’Editions‘ isn’t really the right word, since they are one of a kind. But basically, how it works is: you ask for a tweet and I mail one to you. By post. In the real world.
No way. It’s just that simple?
Pretty much, yes.
And how do I get a Twitter on Paper?
If you’re following me at twitter.com/sampotts, you can see my tweets in your timeline (duh). Simply click the time link for the
tweet you’d like to receive. The time link is this:
Then copy the URL of the resulting page and paste it into the form on the Request page.
Fill out the rest of the form and submit it.
I tried all that but your account is protected. What’s the deal with that?
My account is protected for reasons that are unconnected with Twitter on Paper. Sorry, but this is just the way it is.
I generally accept any follow request from anyone as long as they are real people and not organizations or other types of marketers or promoters posing as people.
How about if I don’t follow you and just request a “Surprise Me” tweet? Will that work?
Yes, that is what’s known in the free-things-written-on-paper industry as a loophole. You still have to be in the United States to receive a surprise paper tweet.
Then what?
Then wait by your mailbox. You will receive your very own Twitter on Paper in a very short time.
Do you just print out the tweet and mail it to me?
No. Twitters on Paper are handwritten and one of a kind. You can see examples around this site of the different forms that Twitter on Paper can take. You can also watch this clip of a small fraction of Twitters on Paper that have been sent to satisfied customers.
Well I’m not paying good money for this.
You don’t have to. Twitter on Paper is an entirely free service.
So then who’s behind Twitter on Paper?
Just me: Sam Potts. I’m the sole proprietor of Sam Potts Inc. in New York City, and you know me from
Twitter. I’m pretty easy to find.
And you’re doing this why?
Recently we’ve seen a number of new services that help you put tweets on things. No one is putting tweets on paper. It’s a shame. Twitter on Paper changes all that. We aim to demonstrate that a paper-based media model can compete in the modern marketplace.
So it must be some kind of ploy to get more followers, right?
Really, it’s not. Twitter on Paper is many wonderful things, but a follower grab it is not.
So this must be a disguised tactic for collecting email addresses or some other kind of phishing?
No, absolutely and categorically not. No information submitted to Twitter on Paper will ever be shared with anyone, either verbally, digitally, or by any other means. Your name, address, and email will never leave the email that I receive from JotForm when you submit a request.
Whoa, who’s JotForm?
I am not an expert programmer, so I used JotForm’s form-builder service to collect requests. Your information is not saved by JotForm, according to their stated policy here.
Can I request more than one Twitter on Paper at a time?
Yes, but you must submit an individual request each time.
Can I request the same tweet over and over?
Of course.
Does that cost extra?
No.
Can I request one of my own tweets on paper?
Not at the present time. To do this, I would need a way to validate that you are indeed the owner of the tweet that you request — that is, that you yourself wrote the tweet. Technically this is beyond my capabilities to automate and it sounds like a lot of work to do manually.
Please be advised, Twitter on Paper is not a service that generates paper editions of anyone’s tweets. That would be infringement. Twitter on Paper only provides paper editions of tweets that I, Sam Potts, wrote. Sorry, that's the policy.
Can I request one of someone else’s tweets on paper?
Absolutely not. This violates basic principles of intellectual property and authorial ownership (terms I use here more in the ethical sense than the strict legal sense). What a person writes on Twitter is theirs alone to decide how and when it gets transposed, republished or otherwise reproduced outside the medium of Twitter. I can’t track down permission for requests of others’ tweets, which would be the only way to include tweets by others in Twitter on Paper. All that remains are my own tweets, which may not be that great but are nevertheless free of charge.
Can I create a favorites list, or install a bookmarklet, or make a profile or something?
No, you can do none of these things.
Can I follow Twitter on Paper on Twitter?
No.
What about —
There’s also no blog, no Facebook page, no RSS feed, and no Twitter on Paper turkey baster.
What if something goes wrong?
I have no idea what could possibly go wrong, but if you must, you may contact me by .
Why would anyone want a tweet on a piece of paper?
I have no idea.