Who wants to talk about something everyone’s sick of talking about? I do!
(Caveat: this is mostly geared towards personal users of Twitter. Not business users.)
(Caveat x 2: Yes, a previous post of mine was similar to this topic. And I didn’t hear from you, so I’m asking again. My blog, my rules. Right?)
I want to understand your Twitter rules. I want to know what you consider proper Twetiquette, or if you think Twetiquette is for jerks. I want to know what your criteria are for initial following, and eventual unfollowing (or not).
Oh, and I want to know why you think you’re interesting enough to follow. Or, for that matter, if you don’t care if you’re interesting enough to follow, because that’s not the purpose of your use of Twitter.
Do you pay attention to your following/followers count? Does your heart sink when a follower drops off, or soar when someone begins following you? (Yes, I want to know if Twitter makes your heart soar.)
Here’s mine:
I use Twitter because I enjoy it. I’ve met some very smart, very cool people via Twitter that I’m almost positive I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’ve gotten involved in the social media enthusiast community in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area, almost all due to networking with other like-minded folks on Twitter. (Last week, I heard a best-selling author speak, got a free book and coffee mug, spent two hours surrounded by local geeks and was introduced to a funky clothing/dogwear product line… and it all started with Twitter.)
I think Twetiquette is a joke… for the most part. The bottomest of all bottom lines is that I follow who I want to follow, and vice versa. If someone is not using Twitter the way you want them to use Twitter – *gasp* – you can unfollow them. Better yet, block them so they fall of your Twittersphere for good.
Admittedly, I watch my following/follower count. I won’t unfollow someone interesting if my follower count drops too low for my nonexistent standards (which I’m not sure I even have), but I am careful about who I choose to follow back. Frankly, I don’t follow anyone who is entirely unoriginal. And likewise, I try to make sure I stay relevant and occasionally innovative, so I don’t bore the few people who made the social investment in following me.
Except when I feel like writing blog posts about things everyone has been talking about on hundreds of blogs for more than a year. Then I throw innovation and originality to the dogs for my own selfish desire to really understand what the people in my Twitterverse really think of all Twetiquette business.
Tags: social media etiquette | Twetiquette | twitter | twitter etiquette
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3 Responses to “Who wants to talk about something everyone’s sick of talking about? I do!”.
I just discovered Twitter and frankly haven’t harnessed its full potential. I like it principally because I can write something witty and quick and have it featured at the top of my blog. Occasionally, I will use it to converse back and forth but even then its for a quick laugh.
I’ll try to give you some of the twittering data you request, Lindsi.
I’m in Twitter because I enjoy it although it has bordered on an addiction especially in terms of GTD (getting things done) that are more important. I do find it useful at work in getting HTML, CSS, & PHP questions answered and in answering questions from other twitter friends. I also get my news there via BBC, Reuters, MPR, NPR, MN Independent and probably a couple more. Plus the random items my friends post and totally mindblowing uses like @marsphoenix. I was very sad as her heaters started going down. She continues to post and I recommend her blogging on the situation. Eventually she will “die” but NASA has more twittering up its sleeve.
I don’t buy into any universal “Twetiquette” although I wouldn’t call it a joke. As you say, follow me or don’t follow me. I certainly have my own rules and try not to post too many times in a row. If I decide to post from a confernence again, I’m going to set up a separate account and then invite people from my main account from time-to-time.
I do get a kick out of attempted twitter commandments like this: http://twitter.com/tencommandments
My own twitter use (actually a twitter comment I made) has got me unfollowed by a well-known local blogger. http://tinyurl.com/4qsgpt
Do I care if I’m interesting enough to follow? Sorry to say I do. More than I should. And whatever I’m doing seems to work as my follower count keeps growing and I do block the spammers or followers of questionable intent.
I retweet interesting stuff and put up links to other interesting stuff and chat a bit (but not too much) about my own life. I link to my infrequent blog posts and sometimes photos.
I monitor my follower count but I really try not to see if everyone I follow is following me. I find out sometimes when I go to DM someone and I can’t. Sometimes I’m sad that this or that person doesn’t follow me but oh well, what can you do.
I think Twitter’s concept is evolutionary in how we will use the network. It’s spun all sorts of me-too apps like Jaiku & Pownce. But the simplicity of Twitter always seems to win people back. I do think identi.ca may be a major player and I’m a big supporter of its open source roots. But I mainly follow Twitter as I don’t have time to follow everything. I like FriendFeed too.
These are good questions and I’m happy to have a place to share my twittering thoughts.
Thanks!
I feel the same way. I follow who I want, and I’m careful about who I follow. I don’t just follow everyone who follows me. Especially if they are trying to slang their own products all the time with no other Tweets of interest, because I believe that is the ultimate anti-twitter.
Oh yeah, I unfollowed someone last week for talking about having to check her daughter’s diapers for the marble she swallowed- although in a much more descriptive way. That is way, way too much info for me.
And I love your blog design, by the way!
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