Looking back it’s been almost three years since I started using twitter and I’ve been using it steadily ever since. I’ve tried different strategies and now I’m trying a drastically different one.
Half of the fun of twitter is finding cool new stuff, meeting new interesting people and chatting with people you know.
Now that twitter has added lists, the need to follow people (Or not follow them) has become non existent, in fact the only real reason to follow someone is to send them a direct message. So that is my new way of deciding who to follow. I will only follow people I want to send to, or receive a direct message from.
My first step will be to unfollow everyone I am currently following, then over the next few weeks and months start to follow people again according to my new parameters.
That’s my plan for twitter in 2010, what do you think?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m actually planning what to do on my real Twitter three year anniversary (April 13th, 2010). I typically don’t stay on any social network for more than 3 years, but the impact of Twitter has grown so much larger than I think either of ever had anticipated when were having drinks at Annie Bailey’s oh so long ago. The system has actually expanded to rival almost email for so many people.
On one hand I’m tempted to chuck it all come April 12th. Just delete my account – at least my personal one.
I’m half tempted to take the easy way out and just let my account languish into obscurity.
Or to create a new super secret account and operate anonymously.
But really, I’m hoping for the fourth option – a new network to come along. Secretly, I miss the days when having a hundred followers on Twitter was a big deal.
As for the mass deletion? I think that’s a bad idea. No matter what message you broadcast ahead of time, for instance this one, the action itself will largely be perceived as aggressively egotistical or kind of taking a step back from the ideals of twitter, that is to listen as much as you speak.
Your an April, I’m a March, didn’t think I was on before you.
I’ll raise a glass to the good ol days.
I intend on following quite a few people back but IMHO twitter lists has changed the game. I used to run several accounts to follow niches now I can do that with a list just as easily.
Doing this makes twitter fun again, at least for me, and if folks get upset and unfollow me oh well.
I like Twitter lists, especially as they provide an accurate glance at how others view a Twitter users – they’re far more nuanced than just looking at a follower count, and provide a bit more insight than viewing someone’s stream.
But I’m a big fan of just wading into my conversation stream and seeing what’s there.
I’m with Bradley…seems like a waste. I actually don’t even use the lists because I have built in columns in my app. I discover new people all the time, some of whom I’ve been following for a long time. I like to view it as an extension of real life. I don’t just chuck friends. And I do have friends that I never actually talk to. But some days, a connection is made. I’ve learned how to filter the stream in my head so no need to unfollow folks, especially when you’ve worked to build relationships.
Kinda harsh in my opinion. But I also never pay much attention to numbers and who is following me or not following me and vice versa. Plus, if I were new to you, I’d probably not follow you if I saw a large disparity between followers and following. To me that’s a red flag.
That’s my two cents
Very interesting.
I am finding the spontaneous flow of my heart revealed with Twitter. It is embarrassing and strengthening at the same time. Ken, I agree with the thought of appearing harsh to unfollow lots of people, unless you have 300+ followers (since then you are out of touch already anyway). I don’t intimately follow more then a few dozen people (don’t take that wrong) so in my head I really don’t follow my thousands anyway.
Also, I find new connections mostly by the people who follow me or by sifting through the list of my closest friends “following” list. It is more difficult to go through friends “lists” and find good connections.
That being said, I find facebook more and more dynamically relational. Twitter is more transactional with biz connections (sharing blog posts and links), breaking news, and live search; while Twitter is more relational with my “few dozen” intimate friends that I “drip, drip, drip” (small talk) with all day long.
…See, I am confused with my own social media use…
Thanks for provoking a paradigm shift!
@Ken
I agree that twitter is all about connections, which is why I’ve already followed back people I know and whom I’ve had conversations with.
Twitter lists have the functionality of tweetdeck lists but they follow you from computer to computer. I use multiple computers (mainly my phone) so keeping my lists in the cloud makes a lot more sense.
My point with lists is they allow you to follow someone without “following” them. With lists it no longer matters how many people you follow if you have good lists (and you don’t even have to make your own lists). It does matter if you are concerned with numbers but you said you weren’t (thought you wouldn’t follow someone because of their numbers).
Essentially I am using the traditional method of following to create a list based on connections and I use lists to get information from (kinda like Paul was talking about).