Shorty Awards Highlights

Watch the highlights of the 5th Annual Shorty Awards on our YouTube channel or see the entire ceremony at LiveStream.

Hey, are you Dr Rachael Dunlop? Claim your profile now!
The case
for Dr Rachael Dunlop

The Shorty Interview
with Dr Rachael Dunlop

What's your best tweet?
it's always the last one right? I was pretty pleased with my reference to woo-ers as "Big-Homeo hugging antivaxers".
What are six things you could never do without?
My laptop, my iPod touch, my iPhone (wait I don't have one of those yet) internet access and noms!
How do you use Twitter in your professional life?
I don't yet, but I have parked an account that I will get up and runnning very very soon, can't say anymore!
What's your favorite Twitter app?
Favourite twitter app is Tweetdeck. I use it on my iPod and MacBook.
Twitter or Facebook?
What was the funniest trend you've seen?
#nopants. Hilarious.
What feature should Twitter add?
Automatic url shortening - already available on Twitter apps like Tweetdeck but not on the website
Who do you wish had a Twitter feed but doesn't?
Ricky Gervais - but he claims twitter is banal and "for the kids". He misses the point. Twitter is a very powerful tool for spread of info
What are some words or phrases you refuse to shorten for brevity?
there are none - but I try to keep my emoticon use to a minimum.
Is there someone you want to follow you who doesn't already? If so, who?
When I know, I will tell you.
Have you ever unfollowed someone? Who and why?
I have only ever unfollowed one person and that was because he tweeted way too much all at once. Not saying who it is!
Why should we vote for you?
You should vote for me because (unlike some of my competitors) I am not setting up sock puppets to get extra votes. Kinda cheating right?
Terms you wish would start trending on Twitter right now?
What's the most interesting connection you've made through Twitter?
A guy I was following whom I didn't know, tweeted about an old friend of mine. Mutual friends FTW!
Hashtag you created that you wish everyone used?
How do you make your tweets unique?
I like to hashtag them with a word/phrase that adds another dimension to what I have already said.
What inspires you to tweet?
To share breaking news and information from the science world
Ever get called out for tweeting too much?
Sure, I tweet at conferences a lot and I have been accused of being "addicted to that thing".
140 characters of advice for a new user?
Don't twitter excessively. It will just bore your followers. Don't swear unless absolutely necessary (actually, just don't).
How long can you go without a tweet?
What question are we not asking here that we should?
How does your twitter content in designated category, helps your followers? I like to think I disseminate accurate science based health info
Who do you admire most for his or her use of Twitter?
@lizditz for fighting bad science and quackery in 140 characters
Why'd you start tweeting?
I started tweeting 'cause it's more interesting and frequent than emails. Keeps me company on late nights.
Has Twitter changed your life? If yes, how?
Sure, it's the reason I'm here in the finals of the Shortys. We used it to get the message out and I came in on top!
What do you wish people would do more of on Twitter?
Just be nice to each other - there is too much abuse happening on Twitter these days. The anonymity of the internet makes for bad behaviour.
How will the world change in the next year?
It's already been a big year for science and scepticism, we have seen Andrew Wakefield shamed, the AVN threaten closure and #ten23
What are some big Twitter faux pas?
Sending private messages public! Especially bad when you do it from text, then realise, but are not near a computer to rectify. FAIL.
What will the world be like 10 years from now?
Hopefully people will have learnt to respect science and the scientific method and appreciated how much it contributes to their life.

The full Shorty Interview with Dr Rachael Dunlop →

Most recent nominations
for Dr Rachael Dunlop

Gold
Gold @unifex
I nominate @drrachie for a Shorty Award in #health because she's still fighting the good fight