Perhaps you’ve seen a suspicious number of similar-looking tweets in your feed today. Hint: they all begin with “I found my #FirstTweet.”
It appears that the social media network that turns eight tomorrow is celebrating by digging up the very first words uttered by every single user ever, to be shared with (hopefully) far more followers the second time around.
Here’s mine:
Hello, dear followers (er, Mary and Rani). I've leaped (leapt?) into the 21st century with an Android phone and Twitter account. Stay tuned!
— Andrea Janus (@AndreaJanus) October 18, 2010
If you haven’t looked already, brace yourself. While you may have honed your Twitter technique over the years, there’s a pretty good chance your first Tweet won’t have Shakespeare spinning with worry in his grave.
But what about Canada’s heavily scripted, media-trained, don’t-stray-from-the-party-line Members of Parliament, who have to navigate the social media sphere blending political obligations with a little personality?
Here are a select few first posts from some of Parliament Hill’s best-known tweeters.
The leaders
Making like a good politico, @pmharper invited followers to view the Conservative party website.
Check out the new Conservative Party web site: http://www.conservative.ca
— Stephen Harper (@pmharper) September 2, 2008
Current Official Opposition Leader (and Quebec MP) @ThomasMulcair tweeted in French, bien sur.
Je suis à Vancouver aujourd'hui et je serai heureux de vous rencontrer au Dentry's à partir de 19h30. À bientôt ! http://t.co/zlpnubYl #npd
— Thomas Mulcair (@ThomasMulcair) October 26, 2011
Liberal MP and now-Leader @JustinTrudeau announced that he was off to celebrate Greek independence.
On my way to a Hellenic event for Greek Independance Day
— Justin Trudeau, MP (@JustinTrudeau) March 30, 2008
Green Party Leader @ElizabethMay was celebrating her hard-won inclusion in the election debates.
I am celebrating my inclusion in the televised leaders' debates! Going out to dinner at my favourite restaurant in New Glasgow.
— Elizabeth May MP (@ElizabethMay) September 10, 2008
Parliament’s prolific tweeters
Astronaut-turned-MP @MarcGarneau used a space analogy, natch.
My first tweet - we have liftoff
— Marc Garneau (@MarcGarneau) February 2, 2011
Making like a good Canadian, @TonyclementCPC tweeted a lyric from the Guess Who’s “Guns, Guns, Guns.”
"Godspeed Mother Nature. Never really wanted to say goodbye."
— Tony Clement (@TonyclementCPC) March 10, 2010
Perhaps appropriately for a sommelier, @MichelleRempel tweeted a wine review.
2005 Bodegas Juan Gil Monastrell Jumilla gos - 88, bold and meaty, some fig.
— Michelle Rempel (@MichelleRempel) May 18, 2009
Liberal MP @Carolyn_Bennett was in a hockey state of mind after a day of work.
Back from the St Paul's riding association meeting.... inspirational as always...now watching the playoffs with my Dad and Pete...
— Carolyn Bennett (@Carolyn_Bennett) May 22, 2009
To the surprise of no one, @kenneyjason, then-immigration minister, tweeted about leaving a political event to meet with local cultural communities.
Leaving the PC Ontario Convention for events with the Lebanese and Somali communities in Ottawa.
— Jason Kenney (@kenneyjason) February 22, 2009
NDP MP @nathancullen pretty well exemplified the life of an MP, particularly one who lives thousands of kilometres from Parliament Hill.
Sitting in the fog in Prince Rupert, waiting for a flight to Lax Kw'alaams.
— Nathan Cullen (@nathancullen) September 16, 2008
Foreign Affairs Minister @HonJohnBaird was with “Pierre P,” who we might assume is Pierre Poilievre.
Kicking off the campaign with my friend Pierre P at Greenfields #elxn41
— John Baird (@HonJohnBaird) March 26, 2011
Perhaps not surprisingly, @PierrePoilievre kicked things off with a partisan swipe.
Ignatieff on defense over his proposed tax hikes.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) April 12, 2011
NDP MP @MeganLeslieMP surely wasn’t the first or the last new user to tweet about need to figure out how to communicate in 140 characters.
A day of downtime after convention means I can actually try and figure Twitter out. :)
— Megan Leslie, MP (@MeganLeslieMP) August 18, 2009