The #TAG or HASHTAG started when Twitter.com users needed a way to tag tweets (messages) so other users could quickly find relevant messages particularly during times of crisis or specific events or to organise a game like #followfriday

Here is something I bet you didn't know #TAG's can be a double edged sword whilst they have been used to great effect to tag a tweet for a particular cause or subject matter if a #TAG is picked up by others it can quickly become a trending topic that will bring a massive flood of users wanting to discover what the buzz is about and join in.

Sadly this will also bring a massive flood of spammers looking to cache in on the trend it may be just to advertise a product or themselves in the hope of others discovering them.

A worm outbreak (like a computer virus) on Twitter recently created a perfect storm where by #mikkey (the viruses creator) became a trend which in turn lead to people wanting to know what the trend was about sadly that in some cases meant visiting an infect profile which caused yet more infections.

{jb_bluebox}Twitter got the problem under control within a few days but it does highlight that while #TAG is a brilliant way to collect up the thoughts of the masses those same masses can actually cause more harm than good.{/jb_bluebox}

#HASHTAG is here to stay and if you are about on Fridays you will be able to experience the most popular #tag of all in the global props game #followfriday

I have written a separate article dealing with the #followfriday TAG you should check it out.