Twitter, for the uninitiated, is a “microblogging” service that limits your posts to 140 characters. It differs from conventional blogging in that it all happens within twitter.com (although there are inputs and outputs for mobile devices and other feed mechanisms). You read people’s “tweets” by “following” them. Whereas regular blogging is more like broadcasting, Twitter is more focused on the idea of social networking.
Twitter seems to be hitting a critical mass lately, with loads of celebrities and big-namers jumping on board. As a result, loads more plebeians are jumping on too. You hear Twitter mentioned on TV, in newspapers, and in daily conversation. Will this ruin the “Twitter experience” or will it make it better?
It’s impossible to say, because the Twitter experience is different for each user. I wrote about this a while back, when I became annoyed at the growing phenomenon of the Twitter numbers game; people following everyone they could, primarily in the hope that they’d be followed back in order to pad their Twitter numbers (Following/Followed By). It’s an absurd quest.
It was annoying then, and it’s annoying now.
However, as Twitter grows, and as more people sign on, the experience changes. A few months ago, I used Twitter for only one thing; to follow (and be followed by) people I actually knew. It was like an open SMS party. Me and a bunch of friends simply texting short messages to each other — but “in the clear” where everyone following us could read them too.
At the time, I had no desire to follow anyone on the goddamn “A-list.” I’m sure Jason Kottke and Dave Winer et.al. are nice folks, but I don’t know them, so I saw no point in following them. Do I care what somebody I don’t know is having for lunch, or if they’re stuck at an airport? No!
But then a few things happened. First it was the New York Times, which created Twitter feeds for its various editorial departments. Every day, they send out tweets with links back to some of the articles published that day. So I started following its food, travel, and books feeds. Then FoodTV.ca went on Twitter and I started following them. On it went, and suddenly I had a different relationship with Twitter.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m not complaining. It’s a natural progression for that kind of technology, which is basically replaying the blog movement of 2000-2003. However, I still see evidence of the phenomenon of people following people like crazy — people they barely know — for the sake of cranking up their Twitter numbers. It boggles my mind, because who gives a flying f*ck how many people are following you?
That said, let me hereby declare why I will follow someone on Twitter:
- It’s someone I actually know (either personally or because I’ve been following their blog for a long time)
- Their Tweets are mostly about providing interesting and delicious links on topics of interest to me (e.g., FoodTV, Ruhlman, Bookoven)
- Because they provide newsy links (e.g., cbcmontreal, CityHallReport)
- In a few rare cases, it’s because it’s a “celebrity” who I find interesting (e.g., Bittman, JohnCleese)
That’s it. That’s why I follow people on Twitter. You will notice a glaring absence: because you follow me on Twitter. Rephrased: I will not follow you on Twitter simply because you follow me on Twitter.
If you’re one of those people who follow me and I don’t follow you back; please take no offense. I’m not complaining about the fact that you follow me. I’m not saying you shouldn’t follow me. I’m just saying that if you follow me and you don’t actually know me, then I don’t know why you’re following me!
This blog? Different thing. I want people to read this blog, whether they know me or not. I write about many different things in a way that I hope people — even strangers — find interesting. But Twitter only gives me 140 characters, and the vast majority of my Tweets are directed specifically at the handful of my followers who I actually know. It would be different if I were using Twitter as some kind of linkcasting service to my loyal customers, or as a way of disseminating important information about my highly specialized field of interest. But I’m not and I don’t. I Tweet about what’s for dinner or what silly thing I saw on BSG last night. It’s just an extension of bar talk with my buddies.
Why would anyone I don’t know want to read that?
So go ahead and follow me if you like. But please don’t get pissed or be judgmental if I don’t follow you back. As we speak I’m following 64 people/institutions, and that’s pretty much the limit of what I can handle. If I follow any more it’s because of one of the reasons listed above.
I don’t give a damn about reciprocating; follow me if you think you’ll enjoy it, and I’ll follow you if I think I’ll enjoy it. But don’t follow me if you’re just trying to crank up your numbers.