Comments on: Twitter and the back cover blurb

By: alan

alan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:18:14 +0000

Pat – all your points are valid. I use Tweetdeck to sort followers into groups and I keep interesting people in various groups so that I can watch their tweets more easily. You have to accept that you’ll miss lots of interesting tweets simply due to the instant nature of Twitter.

By: Pat Bertram

Pat Bertram — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:34:29 +0000

To be honest, I haven’t yet got the hang of Twitter and how one has conversations on it. I don’t understand how overnight I can lose 200 followers. They were probably bots, because I don’t block followers, though I definitely check out people who follow me before I follow back. Bio is one prerequisite. Photo is another. Tweets is a third. If they’ve never posted anything, why follow? Number of followers is a fourth. If someone has 25,000 followers, the chances of noticing anything anyone does is miniscule.

By: alan

alan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:38:55 +0000

Laura – I’m glad it’s not just me.

By: Laura Eno

Laura Eno — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:19:32 +0000

That little corner is the first place I go when deciding to follow someone! If it’s still unclear, a read through their posts tells me the rest.

By: karen from mentor

karen from mentor — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:35:20 +0000

Alan,
I know you said you didn’t list all of your examples… but I just HAVE to share one of mine…. I actually just read a bio that said “I like pain and to cut myself”….she also listed her religion as satanic…

and I’m not even kidding…THERE was a door that I slammed and ran away ran away…

By: alan

alan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:16:40 +0000

Couldn’t agree more, Avery – well said, sir!

By: Avery K Tingle

Avery K Tingle — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:12:25 +0000

This is a good post, and quite frankly, I’m SICK OF BOTS following me just because I happen to use certain keywords. I once quoted G4 as saying “E3 is our March Madness” and just like that, I had a March Madness bot following me. What makes me angry is that whoever did this didn’t even bother to research me before following (if they had, they would’ve discovered I don’t really care for basketball on tv).

I do a little research on everyone I follow because I see no point in following someone just because they are supposed to be hot, or the say they can make you a million dollars. Screw them and those who program them.

You want to sell me, at least make an attempt at getting to know me, and then pitch. Otherwise, click your heels three times and go to hell.

But that’s just me. Great post.

By: alan

alan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:10:32 +0000

Well, Twitter is certainly weird.

As for “unless one conforms to twitterprofilingrulesalaYou, then not interested” – well, yeah. That’s exactly what I’m saying. But I’d venture the rules “alaMe” are shared by lots of other people too. It’s a bit late for me not to get too cynical.

Thanks for commenting.

By: Meredyth Young

Meredyth Young — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:06:21 +0000

Tis true what you say, I have a miniscule following, and that’s because I have blocked as many ‘bots as I have real people. But the author’s bio, does infact say way more, in word’s anyway, and like, there’s an entire book that tells you something, perhaps not about the person, but tells something. A story. What’s weird is that author’s used to ech out a living being anonymous, and now, they have to shameless self promoting whore’s. Writer’s have always been that, underpayed and underappreciated as they are, but maybe it’s time for self pressing again. Walt Whitman self published…just imagine if he hadn’t! So ya, I agree with you about Twitter profile’s. And ya, I agree there’s dinks out there. It just goes to show that we are at a very intersting place, as a race, as creative writers, journalists, artists and humans. It’s almost like you are saying that unless one conforms to twitterprofilingrulesalaYou, then not interested. At the same time, one just has to deal with the billion followers, which I don’t relate to as I have, 30 or somethin’. I appreciate your topic very much. I hope that you don’t get too cynical. Twitter is weird man.

best to you,
Meredyth