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back to article UK pub chain Wetherspoons' last call: ♫ Just a spoonful of Twitter – let's pull social media down ♫

There's only one reason to head to cheap 'n' cheerful UK pub chain Wetherspoons and it is about to be taken away. No, we're not talking about the cheap beer, ever-shrinking menu options, or politically nuanced beer mats. As any 'Spoons aficionado will testify, the main reason to patronise this most functional of drinking …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Or maybe....

    ...they did a bit of maths, realised that paying thousands and thousand of pounds for a team of people to post pointless stuff day in day out was a complete waste of money.

    And of course they still will have their own app and website to push out promotions.

    93 0 Reply
    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
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      Re: Or maybe....

      Or the social media bloke from the EU that they had on Twitter and Facebook finally couldn't cope with so much idiocy per square mile and packed their bags and went somewhere else.

      13 20 Reply
    2. fnusnu
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      Re: Or maybe....

      And also the amount of wasted time and money the response to the fake 'no poppies' tweet required...

      11 1 Reply
    3. djstardust
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      Re: Or maybe....

      Great idea and hopefully the start of a trend.

      I'm a DJ, and more and more people now come up for a request and shove a phone in my face with their track on Deezer, Apple Music etc. I just completely ignore them until they actually speak to me.

      The whole issue with smartphones and social media is creating a generation of people who won't communicate face to face. this is a problem for the future of society.

      71 2 Reply
      1. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Or maybe....

        "The whole issue with smartphones and social media is creating a generation of people who won't communicate face to face. this is a problem for the future of society."

        This is by design. If people talked to each other, they could form groups and collectives, and work together to publicly object to poverty, abuse, tyrannical governments....

        Instead we have sheeple complaining into their personal void of twatter/fookwitbook/instatwat that counts for nothing.

        19 7 Reply
        1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge
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          Re: Or maybe....

          Whose design?

          The Illuminati?

          3 0 Reply
          1. Anonymous Coward
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            Anonymous Coward

            Confirmed

            <meme courtesy of my 10 yr old>

            1 0 Reply
      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Or maybe....

        Yep, how much traffic is lost by forced Facebook logins. I see that and go elsewhere....

        5 0 Reply
      3. TWB
        Reply Icon

        Re: Or maybe....

        Although I concur with nearly all of your comment, I wonder if people shove their phones in your face as it might be easier than trying to shout/say "have you got xxxxxxx by zzzzzzz" and have the ensuring discussion above the sound of your loud music (presuming it is loud - I've never come across a quiet 'sound system')

        12 0 Reply
    4. MyffyW Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Or maybe....

      I love nothing more than being a self-satisfied pedant on the El Reg comments section. Never found a use for Facebook though.

      18 0 Reply
  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I guess he's taking back control ....

    in his own way ....

    25 0 Reply
    1. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

      Aha! You means it's a Wexit? Or is that Twexit? Fexit? Smexit? Er...

      17 0 Reply
      1. TRT Silver badge
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        Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

        Smexit. Definitely.

        16 0 Reply
        1. TRT Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

          Not smegsxit. That's what you get when you fall asleep with it still in.

          12 0 Reply
          1. big_D Silver badge
            Reply Icon
            Coat

            Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

            That will be difficult for the AI to say...

            Smeee

            Smeeee

            Smeeeee

            Smeeeeg

            Smeeeegxit

            There, I did it sir!

            21 0 Reply
            1. TRT Silver badge
              Reply Icon

              Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

              It's a small, off-duty Czechoslovakian traffic warden!

              Anyway, I can't hang around. I'd better take the penguin for a walk.

              6 0 Reply
            2. The Dogs Meevonks Silver badge
              Reply Icon

              Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

              We're a Smeeeg xxxxxxit

              Yes, and a total one at that.

              3 0 Reply
            3. dbastianello
              Reply Icon

              Re: I guess he's taking back control ....

              I could only say that say the above with a constipated looking face and then you can say "I did it".

              1 0 Reply
  3. Korev Silver badge

    In what could in no way be perceived as a publicity stunt, he said: "It’s becoming increasingly obvious that people spend too much time on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and struggle to control the compulsion.

    You mean they're spending time doing things that don't involve going to "not as cheap as they used to be" pubs?

    If they were really concerned they could put up a Faraday cage around each branch to stop people posting to social media from their pubs...

    4 18 Reply
    1. James 51
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      Pint

      How would people be able to text their order to the person who actually managed to make it to the bar while they are on their way over?

      12 0 Reply
      1. TRT Silver badge
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        Is Wetherspoons that popular that one can't see the carpet anymore?

        4 0 Reply
        1. Aladdin Sane
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          That's just because of the lowest bid contractor cleaners.

          18 0 Reply
          1. TRT Silver badge
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            lowest bid contractor cleaners

            Should have got the Eastern Europeans in to do it. Just as cheap but they do a better-than-half decent job.

            14 0 Reply
            1. Anonymous Coward
              Reply Icon
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: lowest bid contractor cleaners

              I spent 25 years working intermittently in the same large office building. When I started there the cleaners were predominantly local and of native ancestry. Over the years as contracts were let and renewed or not renewed the predominant ancestral group was successively locally resident asian, bussed in african and then eastern european, presumably according to which grouping was most willing to be exploited for starvation wages and where the contractor tended to find their victims.

              3 0 Reply
    2. rmason
      Reply Icon

      @Korev

      I feel this has gone over your head somewhat.

      They don't care what randoms post on social media. That's not what this is about.They simply want to stop paying people to respond to the types that tweet to /post on company social media accounts. They (almost exclusively) fall into two categories:

      1 - Trolls, people taking the piss and hoping for a bit of social media fame.

      2 - People with a complaint who either can't be arsed to phone/email or already have, didn't like the answer they got, and are hoping the complaint being public will change things.

      Having a large presence on social media isn't cheap, and they are realising/hoping it's just an huge waste of money.,

      10 0 Reply
  4. wolfetone Silver badge

    Tim Martin. So convinced that Wetherspoons is the defacto pub chain in the UK, delivering quality refreshment to the good people of Britain, he decides to spend his time in his local Greene King pub.

    14 0 Reply
    1. gv
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      Given the choice, I think most people would do likewise.

      16 2 Reply
      1. frank ly
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        He has a duty to study the competion, often.

        4 0 Reply
        1. chivo243 Silver badge
          Reply Icon
          Happy

          @frank ly

          As a chef (many years ago) I visited many of the competitors, often. Often with my meal being comp'd too!

          8 0 Reply
    2. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      "he decides to spend his time in his local Greene King pub."

      He also visits a least 2 Wetherspoons a week, mainly incognito.

      Also I chatted to Noddy Holder in a Bathams...when he was busy advertising Banks' Bitter.

      3 0 Reply
    3. ravenviz Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      I like to spend my spare time away from the office!

      3 0 Reply
  5. Warm Braw
    Coat

    Ever-shrinking menu options

    Yet they've managed to drive a steak into the heart of social media...

    20 1 Reply
    1. Korev Silver badge
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

      Maybe they need to curry someone's favour

      9 0 Reply
    2. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?
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      Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

      Souper decision, in my opinion!

      5 0 Reply
      1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge
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        Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

        "Souper decision, in my opinion!"

        Gazpacho?

        5 0 Reply
        1. TRT Silver badge
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          Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

          Will they still employ someone to clean out the soup dispensers, though?

          2 0 Reply
          1. The Oncoming Scorn Silver badge
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            Coat

            Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

            Off course they would as......

            "The only reason they don't give this job to the scuttters is that they have a better union than us."

            4 0 Reply
        2. Rameses Niblick the Third Kerplunk Kerplunk Whoops Where's My Thribble?
          Reply Icon

          Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

          @Prst. V.Jeltz

          Gazpacho?

          Damn right!

          1 0 Reply
        3. The Dogs Meevonks Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

          'Gazpaco'

          I wanted to complain on twitter about the Gazpacho soup my local Weatherspoons served me... it was completely cold and I had to ask 3 times for it to be sorted out.

          4 0 Reply
          1. illuminatus
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            Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

            Yes, Arnold. Disgraceful service.

            1 0 Reply
    3. Hollerithevo
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      Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

      Needs must, when the chips are down.

      5 0 Reply
      1. The Jon
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        Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

        Don't be taken in by this: it's a Scam-pi, chips, peas and tartare sauce.

        2 0 Reply
    4. Androgynous Cupboard Silver badge
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      Re: Ever-shrinking menu options

      You say steak, but it's mostly gristle

      6 0 Reply
  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I suspect the real reason ...

    is he's trying to dissociate himself from certain things he's said in the past. I note his reasoning involves "trolling" of MPs. Which undoubtedly does happen. However being held to account for you views and actions isn't trolling, but democracy. Something Mr. Martin has made great play of previously.

    11 2 Reply
  7. Juan Inamillion

    I, for one...

    ...enjoy the range of beers they serve and especially getting 3 pints from a tenner (living in London this is Very Important).

    There's always a glorious hubbub of voices not having to compete with music (for which I'll go to see a live band elsewhere) or slot machines (I just don't).

    If that makes me sound like a grumpy old git well I don't think I am, I'd just rather sit and talk complete shite with friends and family!

    YMMV.

    51 0 Reply
    1. Stork Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: I, for one...

      3 for a tenner! what horror! I guess it dates me quite a bit, but the Flying Picket in Liverpool served pints for €1.20 or so when I was there in the mid 90es...

      1 1 Reply
      1. Juan Inamillion
        Reply Icon

        Re: I, for one...

        You were lucky... I was in a pub just outside Durham about a year ago, for a cheeky pint in the afternoon. First time I'd ever been there.

        The pint was £1.85.

        I smiled until I opened my wallet to discover I only had a £50 note (my 'emergency money')...

        3 2 Reply
    2. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: I, for one...

      In Manchester just head for Sinclairs in the remodlled* Shambles Square: lovely Sammy Smiths for well under £2, unless you want lager in which case you deserve to pay more.

      * Sponsored by the IRA. Those visionary architects that Mr Martin seems to want back in business.

      4 4 Reply
  8. ServerSauna

    Maybe a bit more to worry about...

    https://twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/985793231295311872

    5 0 Reply
    1. paulf
      Reply Icon
      Alert

      Re: Maybe a bit more to worry about...

      From the tweet linked by @ServerSauna: "Tim Martin, Wetherspoon's chairman, also a significant donor to Vote Leave....currently under investigation for possible overspending and data sharing. "

      I'm sure shutting down and deleting the social media accounts is completely unrelated to this revelation.

      18 2 Reply

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