So, I spent some time poking around what folks call “theyard twitter” the other day. Heard about it, got curious, you know how it goes. I just wanted to see what the fuss was about, what people were actually talking about over there.
I started scrolling through the feed, trying to get a feel for the place. Lots of chatter, lots of back-and-forth. Seemed like a tight group, maybe? Lots of inside jokes, stuff that you wouldn’t get unless you were really in it. I figured, okay, let’s try to engage a bit, ask a simple question about something they were discussing. Nothing controversial, just wanted to join the conversation.
Well, that went about as well as expected. Crickets. Just totally ignored. Then I saw someone else ask something similar later, someone who seemed like a regular, and they got like ten replies instantly. It felt kinda cliquey, you know? Like trying to talk to a brick wall unless you already know the secret handshake.
It Reminded Me Of Something Else
Actually, it reminded me exactly of when I tried to join that local gardening club last year. Seemed nice on the surface. They had flyers up at the community center, talking about sharing tips, swapping plants, making the neighborhood greener. Sounded great, right? I’ve got this small patch in the back, always trying to figure out what grows best.
So I showed up to one of their meetings. It was in the back room of the library. Maybe ten, fifteen people there. Mostly older folks, which is fine, but they all knew each other. Like, really knew each other. They were talking about people I’d never heard of, events from years ago. I tried to introduce myself during a quiet moment.
- Smiled, said my name, mentioned I lived down the street.
- Said I was new to gardening but eager to learn.
- Asked a basic question about dealing with aphids, because mine were terrible last summer.
You’d think that’d be easy, right? A gardening club? Someone must know about aphids. Nope. Got a few polite nods, a quick “Oh, aphids can be tricky,” and then they immediately went back to talking about Mrs. Henderson’s prize-winning roses from 2018 or something. It was like I wasn’t even there. I sat through the rest of the meeting, feeling like a total outsider. Tried again afterwards to chat with a couple of people, same result. Polite brush-off. They weren’t unfriendly, exactly, just… closed off. Like they had their group and didn’t need or want anyone new.
I never went back. Why bother? It was clear they weren’t actually interested in new people or sharing knowledge, despite what the flyer said. They just wanted to hang out with their existing friends. Which is fine, but don’t advertise yourself as an open community club then.
So yeah, that whole thing with “theyard twitter”? It felt just like that gardening club. Looks open from the outside, but once you try to actually step in, you hit that invisible wall. Maybe it’s not intentional, maybe it just happens when groups get comfortable. But it definitely makes you feel like not even bothering to try again. Just gonna stick to my own little corner, I guess.
