poke

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Poke (or alternately tap, nudge, hi, hello, ping, wink, flirt, pat, wave, etc.) is a feature on a few silos and messaging networks that's a silly method of attempting to get someone's attention, annoy them, or say "I'm thinking about you", typically in an attempt to start an actual conversation. It's an online version or equivalent of tapping someone on the shoulder in real life.

IndieWeb Examples

A close equivalent with a broader range of semantics is available using reacji, which could be used to effectuate a similar intent, though more often those are used in response to another post or event online.

Silo Examples

Facebook Poke

Poke was an original feature of the Facebook platform that was never removed. "When we created the poke, we thought it would be cool to have a feature without any specific purpose," explains Facebook. "People interpret the poke in many different ways, and we encourage you to come up with your own meanings." [1]

Criticism

Since poking is basically the process of posting a message to a friend’s wall (or site) to say hello, flirt or even annoy them – why couldn’t you do the same thing with a simple message?

There has generally been no real accepted etiquette for these posts, and people have tended to make up their own rules. As a result some find these annoying.

See Also