Jan 31, 2009
How I use Twitter
So you’re on Twitter and (possibly) wondering why I’m on it, too? You’ve come to the right place!
My tweets are a mixture of comments on the web experience (including web design/development, blogging, social media, etc.), music, movies, black folk issues, LGBT issues and random, personal tidbits. These are my interests. I tend not to be interested in sports, politics, hip hop or top 20 network television programs.
I used to “protect” my tweets (make them private) unless I was attending a public function with heavy Twitter participation, such as SoCon or SXSW. However, Twitter has gotten so popular, that it’s more of a hassle for me to switch back and forth.
That stated, my Twitter stream is pretty diverse. As a result, my followers far outnumber the accounts I follow. There are simply too many. If you’re following me and I haven’t returned the favor, send me an email (< hover), keeping the following in mind:
Generally, I follow:
- People I know IRL (in real life)
- Longtime virtual/web friends
- Web Designers, Developers, Producers
- Social Media participants
- LBGT folk
- Atlanta folk
- Generally interesting people
Generally, I do not follow:
- People I don’t know who tweet about things I don’t care about
- Social Media/PR/Marketing “experts”
- Most apps/products
- Accounts that haven’t updated much (or at all)
- Accounts that only tweet an RSS feed
- Fake anything accounts
- People who don’t tweet in English (because it’s the only language I can read)
I will unfollow:
- Accounts that tweet offensive and/or insensitive crap
- Accounts that haven’t updated in months
- Accounts that tweet too often and/or about things I don’t care about
Note: This post is updated as my use of Twitter changes.
It’s a cool idea to declare what sort of guidelines you follow for yourself (one of the things I love about twitter is how each person can curate their own experience).
I think my own list of types of people I like to follow and don’t would be very similar, or in some cases analogous to yours. (Especially the distinction between social media participants vs. “experts” and don’t get me started on “gurus”!)
I think people need to get over their fear of not being followed. I know sometimes I tweet “too much” for some people and I will lose them. I’d rather be myself, within reason, than stress out about someone losing interest in my day-to-day thoughts.
Take care (and see you in SxSW?)
(christian aka xian aka mediajunkie)
It’s interesting. Your Twitter rules are similar to my Facebook rules, which in fact, I’m about to cut some friends back on FB bc there I really only want to manage the people you mention in your first set.
On Twitter, it’s different for me though, bc sometimes I represent the brand that I work for and not just myself.
@xian Doh! How did I forget “guru”? Meeting up @ SXSW is a definite.
@Lynne I understand your position re: Twitter. That’s another reason I’m private. I don’t want any confusion about my account representing anybody or anything but me.
There are too few brands/companies who respect transparency. And, as we’ve seen recently, people get confused (or pretend to) when someone represents both personal and business on one account.
Love that you emphasized social media participants. It’s a really important distinction to draw.
So often I feel I do social media wrong because while it seems others are trying to grow bigger, badder and stronger networks, I’m worrying about mine getting too big. I’m constantly looking at the folks I follow and trying to pare down. That gets to be harder and harder to do, of course, once I start communicating with folks. It’s one thing, say, to stop unfollowing Wil Wheaton who wouldn’t know me from every other person on the net vs unfollowing someone with whom I’ve exchanged replies back and forth on. So now I’ve learned to just be slower in adding folks.
I like seeing how others manage their networks. It makes me feel not as crazy for being so rigid with mine.
Thanks for the post.
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