My Letter to Twitter: Why I Don't Do #FollowFriday

Dear Twitter,

I have nothing against #FollowFriday really, I just don't do it. There's no real content there other than someone's endorsement. Not to say that endorsing someone isn't a good thing, it's just that I'd rather find someone organically. However, since you have changed the rules a bit with filtering @ tweets it's more challenging to jump into conversations and maybe meet new people. While the new rules help filter some unwanted conversations, Twitter is a place for discovery and search. You have even shown us this by adding the search function to the main homepage. So if this is the case, then why not go back to the old format? Or maybe, make filtering an optional setting. If not for the old way, I may not have discovered nearly 1/2 of the people I follow and enjoy following.

Bottomline, I'm not looking for followers, nor I am looking for people to follow. I'm looking for conversation. Conversation that is interesting. I just don't see enough of it anymore, and I want it back. Pretty please.

Sincerely,

@mbj

Twitter is for Nerds & Some Other Stuff

I've been harping lately about how lame it is for people to syndicate their tweets to their facebook status. Doesn't everyone realize that facebook is for your friends, and Twitter is for all the people that are as nerdy as you are about whatever it is you're nerdy about. This post will be my last word on the matter as I think I have now done my best to explain why everyone should just cease with this malarkey. Please enjoy this Powerpoint presentation explaining why you shouldn't do it, and how to remove the application from your facebook account. Enjoy your day.

Mj

Why your tweets should not feed to your facebook status. It’s a #fail !!!

View more presentations from themarketingnerd.

Twitter Etiquette

Recently, someone that I follow on Twitter posed the question, "Wondering if its worth it to follow people who only Tweet with personal things that hold no interest for me?" She followed it up by asking, "And, what of, those people you know who you stop following because their Tweets aren't worth reading? Will it hurt their feelings?"

I think these are great questions, and made me think about etiquette that is lost among new technology. Growing up most of us were taught manners. I know that can be a foreign term to some, but most folks know to say please, thank you, excuse me, etc. Unfortunately, Miss Manners, cotillions, and parents have not been able to keep up with today's technology. While you can find some guidelines/opinions for cell phones, cubicles, & email etiquette at sites like Rudebusters.com, I also did a Google Search for Twitter Etiquette and found some great blog posts.



The general consensus out there is that you can do whatever you want on Twitter. To each their own. Follow 1000 or follow 20 it's your choice. You can also choose to block people you don't know or care to know. I guess the only risk you take is offending someone with pointless tweets, or by following someone for no reason other than to build your "following" count. That said, my response to her questions without much thought or hesitation was, "not worth it. too many good tweets get lost among the gunk." I still hold that opinion, and have found myself being more conscientious about who follows me and who I follow. I think Twitter can be a great forum for exchanging ideas and posting thoughts for business purposes. I also think a few personal anecdotes can be appropriate, but must not take over your updates. As someone else mentioned in a tweet, maybe it's best to have 2 or more Twitter accounts so people can choose which one to follow and you can choose what content is appropriate for each.

Would love to hear others thoughts so I can create a top 10 rules of Twitter etiquette post in the near future. Oh, and by the way, what is up with people's obsession with tweeting what your eating???!!! I know I'm guilty, but why do we do it? Maybe that's an entire post itself.

Flock & Pownce

OK, I just discovered two new Internet nerd things I have quickly fallen for. Flock and Pownce.com are great social media hub tools to put all my favorite sites all in one place easy to access and view. With all the logging in and browsing and blah, and twittering, and blah, and did I say blah, I was starting to get tired. I think with these new tools I'll be more dialed into all these different sites, maybe blog more consistently, and start to Digg???

Anywho, Flock is a great new browser built on Mozilla's Firefox codebase. Unlike any other browser, Flock is designed to connect users with their favorite friends, feeds, sites and media putting them at their own epicenter of interests and activity. If you have multiple accounts you log into on a regular basis for blogs, social media, photos, etc. then Flock is for you.

Pownce.com is like Twitter on steroids. Not only can I post updates on my status so all my friends can see, I have also added an application that automatically sends that same update to my Facebook profile. If I could get it to send to Twitter as well I would have no need for Twitter as Pownce also has other apps that link to blogs and more. In addition to some really nice apps I can also place quick links on my Pownce homepage to all my other social media pages. Oh, and did I mention that I can not only just send updates on Pounce to all my friends, but I can send links, Files!!!, and Event notices/invites!

- Mark

Blogged with the Flock Browser