DISQUS

nickb · 11 months ago

Don't forget #11: You write articles about why you won't follow people on Twitter. :)

amazingaaron · 8 months ago

LOL *golf clap*

Holly Jahangiri · 8 months ago

Too funny! The intro struck me as arrogant, but I agreed with all the reasons, especially #5.

amazingaaron · 8 months ago

Yea I cant stand all those people that say there social media this, and that!

Christopher McGill · 2 months ago

Funny!

Matthew Fiebig · 4 months ago

I think Team Twitter made a mistake of using the word "followers". Sounds kind of cult-ish or in the least stratified like the follower is being subjugated.

For fans of celebrities it may be the most appropriate word, but in every day social situations it seems only an appropriate word to describe a stalker.

Justine · 11 months ago

Great post, and so true.

Re. number 8, I remember someone I followed tweeting something like:
"Wow! I got another gazillion followers today, taking it to 2465.
Let's see if we can make it 2500 before midnight, shall we?!!"

My reaction? No actually, let's *not* see that. UNFOLLOWED.

Cheers!

Steven Wilson · 11 months ago

The one that always gets me is the follow that is following many with few
followers,and only one update that just leads to some spam site that they have.

Cormac Moylan · 11 months ago

Nice list, a few of my reasons for not following:
# your twitter updates are private
# all you ever do is retweet
# you don't use a real name for your twitter url or your twitter username
# I see lol, LOLZ, :) and ROFL appear all over your profile.
# your twitter username is something like organic_foods_uk

David · 11 months ago

Great stuff.

Now let's start the Top 10 Reasons I UNFOLLOWED you.

#1. Swearing. (I'm no prude but I hear enough of that on the bus and the street
without SEEING it on a community forum.) My feeling is if you can't say it at
playground, then don't say it on Twitter. And I often feel like DMing them to
TELL THEM why.

Am I just a dweeb or does this bother anyone else?

Pinksugr · 7 months ago

I TOTALLY agree with this one...

PM · 11 months ago

Great article; now let's see the parody!

Murph · 11 months ago

Social media experts are to Twitter as sh*tty bands are to myspace.

Matthew Fiebig · 4 months ago

I like that analogy Murph. lol

GraemeThickins · 11 months ago

Got another one: I will not follow you if you are spewing your politics.
If you are, you're an idiot, because you're regularly pissing off half
of Twitter.

Zap - gone!

KarinJR · 6 months ago

"you're regularly pissing off half of Twitter."

What a strange objection. Firstly, I disagree that mention of one's political views necessarily antagonises people with a different take - I like hearing the other side's POV if it's intelligently presented - be secondly, why the assumption that it's a bad thing if half of Twitter doesn't want to follow you? Surely the whole point is to find people with whom you have a shared interest, not to tweet so generically that no one could possibly be offended. I don't necessarily want all of Twitter to follow me - I want people who are interested in what I have to say to follow me.

If politics ain't you're thing... it's all good.

Holly Jahangiri · 8 months ago

So, by "spewing" do you mean "any mention whatsoever of a possibly controversial viewpoint"?

Lagwolf · 11 months ago

Well I don't meet any of those points and you are not following me? (Apologies if you are and Twitter is not reflecting it.)

Liz · 11 months ago

This is amusing and on point.

Brad Barrish · 11 months ago

I've gotten into the habit of blocking people for many of the same reasons you listed above, which I guess is a little harsh, but without some happy medium between making all of my updates private and making them all public, it's the only way to deal with annoying/spammy people from following you.

Francois · 11 months ago

very true about the top 10, I was actually scared to be in some but no, not yet.
However it definately pushes me to stop following some that I followed only by "politeness".

My last tweet could be " "gone clearing up my following list" :-)

Holly Jahangiri · 8 months ago

It's hard not to follow back out of politeness, isn't it? And I do, sometimes - I try to give people the benefit of the doubt - just as many did with me, before getting to know me well enough to know whether they wanted to unfollow or block me later.

SRivera · 11 months ago

Great 10 Reasons ;)

Ryan · 11 months ago

Usually the ones who say they are an expert are the worst at actually using twitter effectavly. I usually will send a dm to someone when they follow me. Depending on the response will i follow but your points above are usually the reasons to block someone.

Wayne John · 11 months ago

What kills me are those users that have one of those 'slick willy' one page sales sites....I seem to get inundated with them. Sure, follow away, but don't expect crap from me. Those sites are a dime a dozen, and a 3 year old (ok, maybe 5 is better) could set one up.

Those sites are my biggest peeve, sorry to rant. Great article though! Spot on!

Alan · 11 months ago

#4,5,6 and 7 all seem to go together.

Melissa · 11 months ago

Exactly right on. There is nothing more annoying to me then when someone DM's me a "thanks for the follow" auto response with
some spam-ish link attached. If I don't follow you back, oh well, it's not a personal attack I swear!

KG · 8 months ago

If you got the "thanks for the follow" dm, aren't you already following? I think you just wanted to say something cute and didn't think before you typed it. You sound like a #4 or maybe a #3 to me....you sound more like a "follower" than an actual "leader"...You just wanted to agree with the article and majority of comments didn't you?
And as far as the "auto dm's" go, some people just don't have the time to respond to every message. If what they are selling is something that you don't want to buy, then why were you following in the first place? Maybe so they would follow you back? It seems hypocritical to me to un-follow or not follow someone simply because they're selling something. Especially if they have a link in their bio or dm message. You knew what they were about when you visited their profile to click the "follow" button, didn't you? Why not? Why would you just follow someone without checking their stream and/or profile, but when they follow you first, they get all the scrutiny of you checking their dm's and streams after the fact? I don't put anyone down for whatever way they try to make money because I don't have to buy whatever they are selling....that's my choice. I definitely don't follow people just for them to follow me back. It's obvious that I don't agree with every point in this article(or comments), but, that's the benefit of living in such a wonderful country and time....I can do that.

Chris Bird · 11 months ago

My major reason is the "I love you syndrome" as seen in relationships. One party says "I love you" to get the other one to say it back. Twitter whores do the same kind of thing - I get a following notice from someone, go and look and realize that all they are wanting to do is to get me to follow them. How do I know this? Because I am probably not saying anything interesting enough for someone with 10,000 followers already to have any time to read my tweets. Poof I don't reply.....

Thomas · 11 months ago

You´re right!

But there´s a special case regarding to reason #3:
you´re linkin´ to an entry @WIKIPEDIA!

Regards from Germany
Thomas

lynngg · 11 months ago

I will not follow if they only post @somebody.

JenHarris · 11 months ago

#7 is my BIGGEST pet peeve!
I HATE Auto follows.
I am not part of your marketing strategy...you got sold on a "Twitter Strategy". You should have ranaway & just started a conversation w/your customers.
Those that don't get it, will fail. Survival of the fittest & those that "get it".
-jen

Holly Jahangiri · 8 months ago

I used to auto-follow out of politeness (I didn't want to accidentally miss someone, and it's easy to unfollow if they turn out to be spammers or jerks). I don't do that since realizing there are people who follow, grab the auto-followers, then stop following. What's up with that? If you don't want to have a conversation, why bother?

MLDina · 11 months ago

I didn't really understand the Twitter phenomenon at first, but now that I'm a more avid user, I try to follow people whose content I find interesting, who I’ll be running into at events, etc. I don’t think following people who follow you automatically is helpful- unless you really are just looking for more followers. Ultimately, though, like any social network or blog, it’s the user’s choice what information they choose to include in their profile and tweets. Can’t fault them for that!

Michael · 11 months ago

I don't know if this is anti-follow or unfollow after a while, but those whose activity is merely RT after RT of other popular Tweetists get an unfollow after a short while. There's only so much time and room time for me to see anybody else, and if everybody else is being constantly scrolled off because some person is doing nothing but ReTweeting Guy K's 17 most recent tweets (which I've already seen thank you very much), that ticks me off. (If you're RT'ing, at least do it on somebody whom I'm likely not to have already seen on my own!)

Craig McGill · 11 months ago

Some good points there, though I must admit that I enjoy dipping into Twitter (@craigmcgill) more to read, while some of my work-related Twitter accounts (like @ayrshirebard - robert burns poetry), I do post back to people as and when I feel I have something of interest to say.

I think if Twitter survives 2009 we'll see more people have personal accounts and work accounts, like we do now for email (remember the days when you only needed one address?)

Jerri Ann · 11 months ago

Yup, those are exactly the reason I have for not following or usually the case is
is to un-follow because I want to give almost anyone a chance. But, I regularly
go through my lists and un-follow the folks that are annoying me their own PR
and their constant selling of their own products.

Jay Johnson · 11 months ago

Good article! I tell people the same basic thing when approaching twitter (and I do not even claim to be
close to an "Expert") Think of it as a party or a traditional business networking meeting in some hotel
ballroom, you're not going to talk about business 100% of the time and you certainly don't want to spend
all the time having singular conversations... it's about interacting and balancing business and personal.

Great points!

Kara-Noel · 11 months ago

Hi!
Just got this link on twitter and I found it super helpful (and a bit silly... which I love!).
I'm new to twitter and while I'm thoroughly confused so far... I have a feeling I'll be addicted in a week. I have even @replied 2 people... gasp!
Thanks,
http://elislids.blogspot.com/

David Griner · 11 months ago

Fantastic list, Atherton. Numbers 5 and 6 could weed out about 95% of Twitter's dregs.

BJ Wishinsky · 11 months ago

Here's hoping your post is read by those who wonder why they're not being
followed back. I twitter for a nonprofit and read your post right after
browsing new followers acquired while i was offline over the holidays. It
helps me think about my own evolving follow policies. For example, I try
to give the benefit of the doubt to those who want conference news but haven't
figured out yet what they want in their profile, or what to tweet about.
I also try to protect the nonprofit's brand from guilt by association by
not following those whose twitter presence appears antithetical to the work
we're doing, and I'm not afraid to use the block button for egregious cases.

Tim · 11 months ago

But there is something immensely satisfying about unfollowing someone on twitter. It almost makes it worth it to to follow them just so you can unfollow them once they start annoying you.

Miss Communications · 11 months ago

I won't follow if your feed is full of responses to others that completely lack context and information -- what on earth would I get out of a long list of "@so-and-so You're so right!" or "@you-there I totally thought the opposite was true."

I also won't follow if you're salesy, salesy, salesy; and one time I declined a follow because the spelling was that of a drunken five-year-old -- nearly inscrutable in a hillbilly-but-not-a-good-hillbilly-sort-of way.

Paula · 11 months ago

I think you make some very valid points, Atherton, and they all make sense. Who wants to follow a faceless person or the every now and then Tweeter?

At the end of the day, however, I am put off by efforts to homogenize Twitter into dictating what it should and shouldn't be. I think the purpose of Twitter varies from person to personl For some it may be purely social. For others it may be more business oriented. Much of it depends upon the time and effort you have to put into it. Realistically you can only keep up with so many people and genuinely engage with them.

Not one forces you to follow anyone and I don't think anyone should be forced to follow back. Presumably you're attracting the people who want to hear what you have to say, no matter what you're saying.

It's not tit for tat, not this OR that, it's Twitter!

Sincerely,

Paula

Bluraven · 11 months ago

I think this is brilliantly stated. You've managed to cover every Twitter faux pas being committed by people right now, and frankly: someone needed to say this. Thanks for doing so!

Guillaume · 11 months ago

Following or not following should not be submitted to such criteria,
I mean people might statrt using twitter, not having that many followers
but still having an interesting website/blog. Honestly it like in the party,
you should not judge people at the first glance.

Natasha · 11 months ago

I'm not in the habit of linking to my blog posts in comments unless it's on the blog of a very good friend. But to answer your question, I wrote a whole post about why I follow few people and don't feel obligated to reciprocate follows, just the other day. It got the biggest response I've ever had for a post. It made some people mad but I hold to what I said.

Here's the link: http://www.becomingsomething.com/2009/01/my-twi...

Thanks for reaffirming some of my opinions. This was concise.

Geni · 11 months ago

Thank you for this. It is hard when you are a newbie desperate to be heard to not accept every follower, but I did determine that I wanted followers who lived in my world, not those network marketing salesy types. Your list makes it even clearer for me. Maybe someday I will be worthy of a follow. I like having stretch goals.

Twit Twitter · 11 months ago

Well, I don't really subscribe to such a snobbish view of twitter users. The twitter population, no differently than any other population, is made up of many different types of people. To each his/her own. Granted, it's fine to have preferences and opinions, however realize that they are yours and not the golden rules for following/not following/blocking.
Hardly a sticking point in the grander scheme of things, don't you think?

M2Mz · 11 months ago

Follow me :)

MatthewMaranell · 7 months ago

M2Mz.....your funny....where's your face?

tremor · 11 months ago

Interesting list. A lot of Twitter does seem to be a popularity contest, to be sure.

Personally, it ticks me off if someone posts more than a few times a days. Some people post every hour. No chance.

Ironcially enough though, as somebody mentioned above, making lists about reasons why you don't follow people probably constitutes number #5 on the list. After all, it rings of the 'internet expert' you mention... Can't win 'em all I guess ;)

Joel Strellner · 11 months ago

This is almost the same guidelines I use as well. I only ad a few others,like if your updates are private, I don't follow, and if you don't write in my language enough (English) for me to get value, I don't follow.

Dave Gardner · 11 months ago

Great post. This could also apply to Linked-In, FaceBook, Naimz, MySpace, and any of the other "social media" out there. There are some folks out there who have the goal of snagging as many "followers" as possible... and they think they get them by getting "reciprocal follows". I don't mindlessly *follow back* when someone *follows* me. And, when I follow someone (as the starting follower), it's usually because I saw one of their comments to someone else and their comment looked interesting enough to intrigue me to learn more.

I'm sort of "addicted" to Twitter now (*sigh*) and Squidoo... as a former school teacher, photographer, and currently a writer... The folks I follow on Squidoo stimulate my creativity by commenting on things I wouldn't have thought about (but enjoy thinking about when they bring something up). I also follow folks who live where I've lived (so I can keep up with local news and some of my buddies from there), and places where I'd LIKE to live (so I can get an idea of what that place is like before I go there). I follow folks who have the same interests of mine (biology, medicine, health, fitness, FOOD, -did I mention FOOD?- travel, public relations, writing, editing, homeschooling, nature, environment). I try to avoid the political spewers... because like you said, sooner or later, at LEAST 50% of the folks will be pissed off by what's said.

Your post was well presented--it should be a part of EVERY business-person's education (as well as every engineer's or computer programmer's education). It's basic training for the socially inept.

Thanks for the great read!

Stiennon · 11 months ago

No, I have never been at a party like that sorry.

My twitter peeve is people who say "Good Morning Tweeple!" Is is so geo-centric to assume
all of your followers are in your time zone. It may be evening in Signapore or Lo
London when you sit down at your computer. Twitter is not a CB channel.

Shel Horowitz · 11 months ago

Add three more to my list:

Profile pages dominated by thanks-for-follows

Well-handled, but wrong subject area: e.g., I've got a follower who's an online gamer. I went to check out his profile page and I saw great posts, but they were all about gaming.. I'm not a gamer, so why should I follow?

Mindless, boring, useless chatter

Atherton, I found your article very well done. Following you now.

Shel Horowitz, author of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and other books

Jack · 11 months ago

I guess I'm unusual on Twitter in a few ways. First, I follow people because I find their feeds interesting, NOT just because they followed me. And just because I follow someone doesn't necessarily mean I expect them to follow me back... they may not care for what I choose to Tweet about, and that's fine - I'm not trying to win any popularity contest. But the biggest reason I will not follow someone is that they tweet too much about things that are of no interest to anyone but themselves. Maybe some people want to read a running commentary on every mundane thing that happens in your life - I don't. If I am checking out someone and see that they have posted that they ate breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or went to bed or took a nap, or headed off to work/school/play/exercise/whatever, I'm probably not interested unless MAYBE I am already a close personal friend and have a high tolerance for boredom (which I don't). So follow me if you like and I'll follow you if I like, but I certainly don't expect reciprocity and hope others don't either.

katbron · 11 months ago

very practical article - I agree with everything you say. I'm getting so annoyed with the "inner sanctum" of the twitterverse that just RT each other over and over and over again. It clogs my twitter stream so I can't see my "real" conversations. Thanks!

Shevonne · 11 months ago

Great post and the reasons I dont follow someone in return as well.

doron dinovitzer · 11 months ago

#5 gets me every time. I wonder what percentage of Twitter users are
social media experts?
I bet it's the same number of experts who haven't heard of a site like Mashable.
Twitter is like going bargain hunting. You've gotta wade through a lot of crap
to find the really good stuff!

Atherton Bartelby · 11 months ago

@nickb: Touché, mon ami, touché!

@Lagwolf: Why am I thinking yours won't be the last comment I read criticizing me of not following you in return?

@Wayne John: I know exactly the "slick willy one page sales sites" you mean. During Twitter's recent "spammer cleansing" I lost over 100 followers who I was not following in return, and nearly all of them "boasted" the layout of which you speak. Which, fine, if they're offering genuine content or a genuine service, but I find this is often not the case. Thanks for reading!

@Mark Riffey: I agree with you completely. As someone who tries to keep his Twitter stream balanced between retweeting content from other sites and sources and my own original content, I find the largely auto-post-feeds greatly offensive. Because, again, how does this effect engagement with your followers? It doesn't.

@Cormac Moylan: I completely agree with all of the points on your own fine list, as well, except for item number four, obvs, LOLz! ;-)

@David: Very valid point regarding profanity. Although I try to keep profanity to a minimum in my stream, it does exist, along with other perhaps non-playground-suitable language or concepts, so I could definitely see myself unfollowing someone based on that if I held similar beliefs as you.

@David Griner: I'm glad you enjoyed it, David, and thanks for your compliment. I completely concur with you that numbers five and six could weed out about 95% of Twitter's dregs right now.

Amanda · 11 months ago

oddly #6 is the main reason I stopped following mashable and why I will probably unfollow a lot of other people as well. I don't understand the significance of asking your readership to follow you on twitter or facebook so that they can be informed of the same things that they are subscribed to the site to read and get the RSS delivered to them daily 15-20 times a day. The only thing it does is give marketers more real estate to advertise their stuff in your timeline or wall.

Next Big Thing · 11 months ago

What I got from this article:

1) The writer is extremely concerned with being on the "hippest" social media networks that he can find.

2) He believes that he is part of some elite force by doing so.

3) He probably has never had many real life friends, so he wants to take it out by insulting others and telling them that they're not cool enough for his spitter account.

4) He most likely has a history of low self esteem, as evidenced by the false bravado displayed in his writing.

5) He's one of the biggest dorks I've come across in quite some time.

Jimmy Norton · 11 months ago

Great article. Thanks for listing the rules so succinctly. Twittering is just like browsing through a newsstand - you're going to avoid the blatant ads and try to read good content.

Bengo · 11 months ago

Send me a Magpie ad and you're toast. Twitter isn't worth it.

Follow someone just because they're famous, and I'm probably not interested in you.

leanne · 11 months ago

So, I was all prepared to read this post and take it personally if I was doing any of them (look, I'm pregnant and hormonal, these days I take everything personally), but your list is pretty spot on.

The only things I'd add are pet peeves, like your posts are always in all caps and they hurt my head, or you frequently write about things that disgust me, like the gentleman who reports his bowel movements regularly.

Good list, and I appreciate the conversation your post has generated.

LMaverick · 11 months ago

Thank you for validating my instincts. I have only been twitting for a few days and couldn't understand the twits that came from no where wanting to follow. Nude photographer was a red flag. I don't mind blocking and having only a few followers. Now I'm getting followed in return when all I wanted to do was follow. Really, all I want to do is read and listen, but now I will have to find interesting things to say.

Janine · 11 months ago

Another one with apologies if it's a repeat: Your tweets are frequently full
of suggestion and innuendo and ##*!$@#. Not cool.

Sonia Martinez · 11 months ago

First off, I <3 that you used the "moody optimist" photo for this article. Secondly, I am now more conscious of my own desires in using twitter, and the effects that my tweets may have on others. Lastly, I feel so honored to be following you and that you are following me in return. Thank you for doing so b/c I know that I can be obnoxious at times. I will try to limit my obnoxiousness. :) ~*Sonia

TrevC · 11 months ago

Twitter is useless. Writing articles about not following people on twitter is pointless. GO OUTSIDE AND DO SOMETHING FUN.

rama · 11 months ago

yeah, i unfollowed like 40 people coz they're using Magpie ads.

Raul · 11 months ago

A friend of mine wrote a very similar post (although she published it before you did, hehehe) Anyways Reason # 11 for me is - I can't possibly follow more people right about now. I could in the near future but right now I feel overwhelmed.

@mambabyte · 11 months ago

Glad to see I have not committed any of the aforementioned fails. Guess that's why people that follow me are SLIM AND GORGEOUS!!! FTW! LOL!

Eric · 11 months ago

Good points. 1, 2, 5, and 6 are the big ones for me. I'll try not to make any of these mistakes!

Atherton Bartelby · 11 months ago

@Paula: I could not agree with you more being "put off by efforts to homogenize Twitter into dictating what it should and shouldn't be." Although my piece was perhaps overly opinionated, I did try to go out of my way to make it clear that these were *my* personal reasons, and to not indicte others for how the way they use Twitter differs from the way I do. Everyone is using it differently and (aside from the obvious spammers) I think that is excellent. It is truly successful, I think, when the Twitterer in questions finds an audience with whom they really engage.

@Guillaume: Well, no, we *shouldn't* judge people at first sight, and in an ideal world (and on an ideal internet), perhaps we wouldn't. But in a world and on a media that both place so much emphasis not only on how one looks, but also on what one says or writes, and on the value of one's content, unfortunately it *is* a world and a media in which first-sight decisions are made. Hopefully my list takes that into account and offers second chances where second chances may be due.

@Natasha: I *loved* your post on your Twitter philosophy! I wrote a similar piece (which I now feature prominently on my blog, and as a link in my Twitter bio) because I wanted to allow potential followers to know what to expect if they decided to follow me; yours is far better than mine, however, at articulating your deeper philosophy behind how and why you tweet. More Twitterers, I think, should put as much thought into why they're there as have you.

@Venessa Paech: I couldn't phrased it more articulately (nor, clearly, more concisely) than you just did. I completely concur.

Ryan · 11 months ago

#25 @craig is right. I have a two twitters. A biz and a personal. Some biz I follow cuz I want info fast.

Crista Huff · 11 months ago

First, I'm sorry to be so lame as to not have a photo/art design, which was your reason #1. Put a gun to my head, and I wouldn't know how to put in a picture. (But I am planning to ask my husband to do it for me. . . .again. Aarrgghhh.)

I like to follow people who are interesting, don't send dozens of tweets per day, and don't follow 43,000 people. I really, really enjoy people, but not all of them at once -- following too many overwhelms me.

So I don't follow if they don't tweet, if they tweet too much, and OMG! -- the ones who can't write coherently. I'm sorry. I just can't subject myself. I was a lit major and a spelling champ. It's too painful! Plus, that whole "I just need 683 more followers by midnight" thing is soooo pathetic.

LM · 11 months ago

Great list/guide. Thank you.

I was following someone who had good info, fun links and was fun to follow.
Suddenly, Twitter had a DM phishing scam issue and this person posted tweet
after tweet after tweet all day and all evening about/on the issue with
graphics and how-to's, links...unrelenting informational "panic".
Yikes. Block.

Kathleen · 11 months ago

Excellent article!

My number 1 reason for not following someone:

Because I clicked your link and it was a screen size headshot of you and a
request to join your Facebook fan page.

I agree completely with all of your reasons in this article too.

Bryan Karl · 11 months ago

Great Post! I like using Twitter though I haven't digested the whole concept and idea yet.

Sherra Scott ~ Virtual Assista · 11 months ago

I completely agree with all your reasons and a few that other reasons. I do make exceptions for some people, but for the most part any of the reasons you have written about are "no follows" in my book also.

Sherra Scott ~ Virtual Assista · 11 months ago

I completely agree with all your reasons. I do make exceptions for some people, but for the most part any of the reasons you have written about are "no follows" in my book also.

Pirattitude · 11 months ago

Great list! I use most of these too, but you forget about frisbee golf fanatics! You also forgot abou ..... (what? HE play Disc Golf? YIKES!) errrrr ........ you forgot about those "newbees" who mysteriously know all about Twitology & speaks perfect Twitterese.

venkat · 11 months ago

@atherton awesome article on twitter following ,I learned some pointd
from your article.

@GaryPaulson · 11 months ago

This will have to go on my list of posts to recommend to new twitter users.
Also might be a good response to anyone you do end up 'un-following'

Drewster · 11 months ago

Very profound---we musta had the same people following both of us! \
same kinda crap exists on linkedin.

"madlolscientist" on Twitter · 11 months ago

Excellent list. A couple of thoughts of my own:

With very few exceptions, I don't follow business-only feeds.
I do follow a lot of news and some purely serious bloggers, but
everything else has to have some personal appeal.

I generally don't follow anyone for long if they don't have a
humorous streak. I'm in it for the fun. Also, I hardly ever check
my followers list, so I only find out about new followers when
they @reply to me.

k, iz dun bein seerius, plai tiemz nao. cul8r kthxbai. =^..^=

Atherton Bartelby · 11 months ago

@ 61 Next Big Thing: You are totally right: I am one of the biggest dorks you could ever come across.

@ 64 A.J. Pape: OMG. "Excessive unrelenting perkiness" is probably my #11, too!

@ 68 Sonia Martinez: I think you address an important point amidst all of your flattery (for which I thank you profusely! *wink*): Those times at which Twitterers can lapse out of their usual personalities into other moods. I know I do it frequently, and am constantly astounded when I don't lose followers after an evening of RANDOM SCREAMING TWEETS. I suppose that speaks more to the *general, overall* value that people offer in their content, as opposed to the occasional bouts of random behaviors.

@ 69 TrevC: Contrary to popular belief, my friend, those of us who write on the internet DO go outside occasionally to do fun things. For example, I have just now returned from smoking a cigarette on my front stoop, and I had a smashing fun time!

@ 85 @GaryPaulson: I'm glad you thought so, Gary, and thank you. I was definitely trying to make it as informative for new / unfollowed users as I made it humorous.

Stefan Swanepoel · 11 months ago

Excellent post. Wish many people on Twitter would read it.

7meditations · 11 months ago

I follow everyone no matter what but if down the track there interests either:
1. Contain forceful Views. (2 in your list)
2. Spammy. (8 in your list)
Thy will be removed and disposed of in a tasteful manner.

Why have 10? I think I just narrowed it down to 2.

Bob Hankock · 11 months ago

My additions to your list.

I quit following people who ...

- make too many posts -- if I see 3 consecutive posts in my Twitter, I quit following that person.
- continue from one tweet to another -- if you can't make your message short, it shouldn't be on Twitter.
- announce blog entries -- if I want to follow your blog, I'll subscribe to your RSS.
- announce what they are eating, when they go to bed, etc.

Joscelyne · 11 months ago

I'd have to wholeheartedly agree with your post. I routinely block spammers.
I also use @spam @username to report spammers.

I also have to say I don't care to read people's tweets that are always cursing.

Jordan Pearce · 11 months ago

I'll take number 8 over number 10 any day.

Not engaging also means not caring if you barrage followers about
how great your products or services are.

No Twitter hogs allowed.

The best way to market on Twitter is to under-market.

A Mahler · 11 months ago

And let's not forget the ones whose name is just plain offensive.

I blocked one just this very morning that was actually called (okay I've taken a few letters out) f***you.

Yeah.

Lee Munroe · 11 months ago

Great post, all true. Incomplete profiles annoy me. Location and short bio are
a must and anyone I want to follow typically has a website or blog so that's a must
too.

Oriol Miralbell · 11 months ago

Thank you for this post. Your statements seeme common sense but many people
don't keep them in mind. Such posts help really to make twitter more useful.

Christie @ fig&amp;cherry · 11 months ago

Great list Atherton!

Not sure if it's indecent to say so, but someone who twitters too much and floods your feed as soon as you follow them is also a turn off for me.

It's fine to twitter regularly, but if it's drowning out my other conversations then I have to draw the line.

Donato · 11 months ago

then I wonder why you're not following me!?! :)
twitter user id: markingegno
http://is.gd/eLc1

Natasha · 11 months ago

As a Canadian living in the Netherlands although tweeting in English, my pet peeve is people tweeting as if we all live in the US and the rest of the world doesn't exist culturally. I don't follow people who can't think further than that.

kelly · 11 months ago

Posting twitter tools and tips updates in my blog
doesn't mean I am an "expert" - it's simply my
way of sharing with those who've chosen to subscribe
to my blog. Many people do so! In fact I have
the grace to link to other blogs who talk about
Twitter tools without asking for anything back at
all! (So Atherton, were YOU talkin about me?)

"Your most recent updates make references
to any need to achieve “more Twitter followers”"

I've never committed this "Twitter SIN" but again,
many have done that including some pro bloggers
who've posted "I have another 3 to 3,000 here on
Twitter!"

Lighten up! There are worser "twitter sins" than
some youve mentioned! But yeah, those are YOUR
top 10 reasons not to follow - be it Twitter or
not.

When you receive too many of the same re-tweets
no matter how useful they are, may be that's
when you find another reason NOT follow! Your
11th reason. Happy twittering!

kelly · 11 months ago

Posting twitter tools and tips updates in my blog
doesn't mean I am an "expert" - it's simply my
way of sharing with those who've chosen to subscribe
to my blog. Many people do so! In fact I have
the grace to link to other blogs who talk about
Twitter tools without asking for anything back at
all! (So Atherton, were YOU talkin about me?)

"Your most recent updates make references
to any need to achieve “more Twitter followers”"

I've never committed this "Twitter SIN" but again,
many have done that including some pro bloggers
who've posted "I have another 3 to 3,000 here on
Twitter!"

Lighten up! There are worser "twitter sins" than
some you've mentioned! But yeah, those are YOUR
top 10 reasons not to follow - be it Twitter or
not.

When you receive too many of the same re-tweets
no matter how useful they are, may be that's
when you find another reason NOT follow! Your
11th reason. Happy twittering!

Neil Creek · 11 months ago

Some of the turnoffs that I'd add to your list:

- You have only @replies for the first page of tweets. I want to hear your original thoughts as well as what you say in reply.
- You have protected updates. I'm not going to follow and wait for a follow back before I can see what you say.
- You have chosen a garish or hard to read colour combination for you profile. I can't read your bio if it's dark grey on black.
- You have too many negative, whinging or complaining tweets. Sorry but negativity is a big turnoff.

Having said that - I don't want to be too negative myself! I am choosy about who i follow, but I find it lets me engage more closely with those that I do. I've had some really great conversations with those I follow.

If you'd like to say hi, you can tweet me at http://twitter.com/neilcreek

Marilyn Devonish · 11 months ago

Cool article. Mad me smile and provided some useful tips. Just off to check whether I've created any of the cardinal twitter sins you mentioned! Have set avatar, linked my (proper) website and have a bio so seems like I'm off to a good start. Will be interesting to see how twitter develops and whether it becomes a mini facebook. Marilyn

Travelwriter · 11 months ago

Good artickle! I would not follow to users who follow and unfollow me every week in the hope I'll follow back.

Sciarazz · 11 months ago

And I defollow people who complain all day long how bad their job is or what idiots their customer or colleagues are.

Sciarazz · 11 months ago

And I defollow people who complain all day long how bad their job is or what idiots their customers or colleagues are.

David · 11 months ago

while i agree with most of everything said here. the post in of itself seems pompus and elitist

Debbie · 11 months ago

How about: I will not follow you if you welcome every new follower.

Heather · 11 months ago

Was going to Tweet this until I saw the MySpace slam. Snob.

Jeroen Mirck · 11 months ago

A great list of 'follow fails' I have experienced myself. Another one: as a Dutchman tweeting mostly in Dutch, I get annoyed by new followers who clearly do not speak a word of my language. Why are they following me? Sometimes I met them on conferences (like Pete Cashmore), but otherwise I don't really see a match. Especially not when they only tweet links to their advisory servicess. What is the fun of following more than a thousand people? I'm proud to be followed by more people than I follow myself. It says that my tweets *might* be really interesting for other people...

Jacki Hollywood Brown · 11 months ago

This is a great summary of "Follow fails". This sort of goes along the line
of "blocked follows" like the guy who asked me if I had piercings in private
places. CREEPY!!! Did not return the follow and promptly BLOCKED!

MB Kurilko · 11 months ago

Great list! Believe it or not, I tend to unfollow some (no names, please)
*superstar* tweeple because I get overwhelmed by the velocity of their updates.
I'm all for great conversations, but sometimes the old information overload
kicks in and I need to go zen for a while.

Erin Bury · 11 months ago

I love number two. It isn't that hard to put in a sentence about what you do or what you're interested in learning about - when I don't see a bio I automatically wonder what someone is hiding.

Jeff Marmins · 11 months ago

While I agree with much of this O-P-I-N-I-O-N, there is a difference between social media / technology users:

- who seek ways to ADD or CONTRIBUTE value
- who just don't get it.

#6 is the biggest reflection of this. It's really no different than the business networker who walks around a mixer with a fistful of business cards, handing them out to all passers-by, thinking that he's given any reason to be called the following day.

HOWEVER, consider that the path to success is not an elitist or critical attitude. Help others understand how to make their experience successful. (I know you do this in spades! And, thank you!)

Just like any other networking or communication vehicle, there will always be an MLM gal hawking herballife who doesn't get that you have to give before you get.

Follow, don't follow - it's up to you - make up your own reasons. Up until now, I haven't followed @ABartelby but I do subscribe to http://athertonbartelby.wordpress.com/, and his wife, @avflox , is a facebook friend and one of my favorite tweeters.

J Doss · 11 months ago

I am always disappointed to see why people won't follow various people on Twitter. Twitter has been gaining ground in the main stream and there are a lot of new non-techsavy users. There are many points in your article that a new user or even a new business owner would be dealing with during their learning curve. It is our jobs as experienced users to follow them and educate them. Otherwise twitter continues to fill up with these annoyances. Sometimes I shake my head at the arrogance the internet breeds.

J Doss

Tom Blue · 11 months ago

Yes, #7 is annoying. How can twitter stop this automatic spam messages? Quite annoying...

Alicia · 11 months ago

If you tweet to many times in a row. Or, for news organizations if you have 1.) no personality and 2.) if you tweet everything as if it's breaking news.

Jon · 11 months ago

This reads like a bunch of self indulgent crap. Waste of webspace.

Who cares?

Lori Paximadis · 11 months ago

I agree with all of these, completely. And I'll add a few more:

1. You don't know the difference between Twitter and your blog. If it takes six tweets in a row to say it, it's a blog post. Write it there and link to it with one tweet.

2. You tweet so much that you're taking over my landing page -- and I'm following 150+ people.

3. You tweet the same message over and over in case someone missed it the first time.

Thanks for the great post.

Atherton Bartelby · 11 months ago

@ 103 Natasha: Your point regarding the cultural blinders that some American-based Twitterers wear is a very valid and interesting one, a phenom that I noticed with increasing frequency throughout the recent United States campaign season and Presidential election. You are definitely correct: it's not useful nor fun to follow anyone on Twitter whose "world view" essentially ends at their country's borders.

@ 104/105 Kelly a.k.a. @qutequte: I saw a tweet of yours earlier today regarding my article and my "big head," but I assure you that if you got the sense that I was being big headed, snobbish, or elitist, it was totally done for humor value. So perhaps you should lighten up, my dear, as this was not meant as a critique of how you (or anyone else) uses Twitter. Everyone uses it in different ways, for different reasons; this piece was merely an expression of my personal opinions regarding returning follows. Love your tweets, by the way; happy Twittering to you, too!

@ 107 Neil Creek: I really enjoyed reading all of your useful additions to my own list, all of which I think are completely spot-on, and are definitely guidelines that I follow, as well. The difficult-to-read layout / color palette and the excessively whing-y / negative tweets are definitely big turn-offs for me if I see them when approaching someone's Twitter profile. (Even though I, um, have been guilty of both at one time or another throughout my internet tenure. Ha?!)

@ 112 David: Well, my friend, this certainly isn't the first time I have been referred to as "pompus [sic, btw] and elitist," so at least I'm being consistent! ;-)

Phil Barrett · 11 months ago

How about - all your tweets are about you going for coffee, drinking your coffee, and then going to the bathroom because of all the coffee you just had - or something equally as inane

Ann R · 11 months ago

Wonderful post. I joined Twitter to market my art but also to find interesting information from & conversation with a global community. I try to balance my tweets – some market my work, but others are just random thoughts or contain links to photos of my life. They’re the types of tweets I want to read, so I hope that others will too. I’m still a newb, but I quickly learned what I don’t want from Twitter. A lot of that is in line with your post so no need to repeat. I have no intention of following everyone who follows me. I’m looking for interesting tidbits, links, information. I’m not into politics and I don’t read many blogs Just give me a slice of entertaining conversation & some links to content that appeals to me - if I don’t see that in your tweets, I won’t follow. Nothing personal. Feel free to unfollow me, it won’t hurt my feelings.

Julie · 11 months ago

Great post!

I just got into Twitter recently and this is great advice. Thank you very much,

Julie

Denise "Niecee" Garciano · 11 months ago

Soooo agree with point #10! It's really annoying when people are just pulling in a feed onto their account for the sake of giving content exposure. I hate it when companies do that!

Denise "Niecee" Garciano · 11 months ago

Sooo true!!! Point #10 is one of my top reasons. Why would I follow someone who is just pulling in a feed to give exposure to their content! I hate it when brands/companies do that.

Meg · 11 months ago

I have stopped following people for using excessively crude language. If they can't use worsthat are over four letters, they can take their opinions elsewhere.

Meg

Maria · 11 months ago

I couldn't have said this any better. I think I might just start forwarding this post as a link to anyone who follows me who I don't want to follow. Thanks!

Atherton Bartelby · 11 months ago

@ 116 Heather: Having a negative opinion regarding MySpace makes me a snob? Oh, ok! Happy you enjoyed the other nine items, at least! :-)

@ 117 Jeroen Mirck: You are so right on regarding language barriers, which I think, now that you mention it, should really be at the top of the Follow Fail list. How can you follow others and forge meaningful connections / communications with them if you don't all speak the same language? In the 140-character-defined realm of Twitter, language barriers are most definitely an issue.

@ 123 Tom Martin: Thanks for those additions to the Follow Fail list: I concur with every one of them, but especially number six, of which the arrival of the new year (un)fortunately inspired quite a few! Great blog post, by the way; thanks for the attribution!

@ 125 Jeff Marmins: Excellent points, my friend. Thank you very much for your valuable contributions to the points I tried to raise. Bravo!

@ 138 Ann R: I loved reading how you are utilizing your Twitter stream, because that is exactly how I (well, "ideally") attempt to utilize my own. I think that at least a little variety can make anyone's Twitter stream more interesting and engaging; very few people want to read a stream that's 100% project / product pimpage, 100% news, 100% personal, etc. An even mix is always the most engaging, in my opinion.

Chuck Dimmitt · 11 months ago

Definition of an expert and why I choose not to be one:
An ex is a has been and a spurt is a drip under pressure!

dcheng · 11 months ago

On the isayusay social networking site, both parties will be posted to each other’s friend list once a say-hi request is confirmed. He or she can easily delete the new friend or copy him or her to the appropriate social circle using drag and drop.

HeatherO · 11 months ago

I agree completely!!!
"friendship" is give and take, not take and take, or push and push!
Don't be a "squatter" "taker" "or loiterer". Pretty simple!
Thanks for summing it up so well!

John McElhenney · 11 months ago

I wont follow if you cant spell.

Terry Freedman · 11 months ago

I enjoyed reading this, and the comments. Interestingly enough, I wrote a blog on sii post on similar lines myself at the end of December:
Ten things to do when someone follows you in Twitter. Some of our points overlap, but I really like the ones I left ou, as it were, like the photo (lack of), and some of the points made in the commenst, eg by Justine "Let's see if we can make it 2500..." etc.

I think a common factor is people who are not interested in having a conversation, only in having an audience.

www.1Million1Year.NET · 11 months ago

Good article and valuable ideas!

Thanks for it, AB!



Luca,
TheInternetWorker.com

Jim Marks · 11 months ago

I will not follow you if your twitter stream is a not mostly replies. Broadcasting is a valuable tool, but is is not social media. IF you want to invest the time to read my profile, learn who I am or what I do, and have a conversation.. then follow me, I would be honored. IF you want to follow me just because I may follow you back? Don't count on it...

tysoncrosbie · 11 months ago

Love this post.

Phoebe King · 11 months ago

Great article! One I'd like to add:

Reason I will UNfollow you: Cluttering your tweetstream (aka timeline) w/ endless Thanks for following tweets - to multiple peeps, no less. Don't you understand that you clutter other people's timelines with that crap? That's what direct messages (DMs) are for! *sheesh*

You can follow me at @bizlady08. I do not do ANY of the things mentioned in the Toip 10 list.

Mitch · 11 months ago

I follow most of these, but I'll ask you the follow up question, being do you follow people like Seth Godin, who not only doesn't follow almost anyone on Twitter, but also doesn't even allow comments on his blog, let alone wants to spend any time talking to people? There are a couple of Twitter folks I follow that don't respond, but those are news users.

Neil · 11 months ago

Thank you for this. I just went back and filled in my bio....

Item 6 is a particular hate of mine. They have one tweet and it's "buy me". Ecch.

Philippa · 11 months ago

I can't stand the elusive bio's and then when you click their website to learn more about them it is a freakin porn site. Seriously!!! Blocked!!!

SisterSledge · 11 months ago

I know some feel "thanks for following" should be reserved for DM's to avoid cluttering the timeline, but I really like putting them out there. I only thank followers that I have chosen to follow back and I use these "thanks" tweets to not only thank for the follow, but to mention something I found compelling about this person. This makes the "thanks tweet" also a sort of introduction of this new "friend" to my other followers.

kelly · 11 months ago

Atherton, yes, I thought you were bigheaded
and wondered if anyone else thought the same.

Seriously, I'd tell my gfs that the world is
better if their bfs (or husbands) can be as
honest as you (or me...ahem!)

You've really earned my respect! Because
honesty is BIG with me! Even if it's
blatant honesty. I learn lesser with ppl
who are less honest!

Ypunto · 11 months ago

And don't forget the reason N°0: Your avatar needs silicone XD

Cathy Tishhouse · 11 months ago

I am fairly new to Twitter (get a lot out of your posts and site!) and the first 6 total cover why I don't follow people back. I rest are pertinent-I just usually don't get to them. It was great to be recreated in reading your post of why I don't follow back.

Cathy Tishhouse · 11 months ago

Without really thinking about why I don't follow people, you hit the nail on the head-particularly the first 6 reasons. I return follow most but not those that don't have many updates and following a lot of people with few following - top reasons!! I get a lot out of following you, your posts and your site. Thanks.

Joe Schmitt · 11 months ago

Excellent post. I agree with many things you say. From my stream you might think I am a broadcaster who doesn't engage, but I have learned since my "brand" is mostly about jokes that I need to keep my signal-to-noise up which means less @replies. I still engage my followers via Direct Message. And that's not to say I make no replies, but that I consider whether my reply is something a great number of my followers might appreciate. I used to try to follow back, but I find it gets tough for me above 500, and becomes impossible at 1000. I know others use it differently and can get higher numbers.

Also I don't agree that Twitter is only conversation, and therefore needs equal relationships meaning everyone follows everyone back. I enjoy @zeldman, @hotdogsladies, @insooutso, @bcompton and @thedayhascome even though they will probably never follow me back. Sure, I'd love it if they did, but their jokes work regardless. Plenty of other people have followed back, and I love it, but I don't converse much with plenty of them such as @badbanana, @abigvictory, @MissRFTC, @nick, @Tony_D, @hoosiergirl, @wryredhead and @tj. I wish they were all as close friends as @kariedwards, @AprilSTL, @lemonchiffon, @missamymac, @krgaskins, @sugarjones, and @Astrogirl426, but they're not and that's OK. Twitter serves multiple purposes and community is only one.

Rachel · 11 months ago

As someone with a semi-modest set of followers, I have to say that number 10 is my favorite thing about Twitter. Except I don't use Twitter for it. I DO engage my followers- making new friends is my major use for Twitter. That and saying funny things. I saw that you followed me the other day, so You must think I do this, but I wanted to make the point that some people (me included) don't like @ replies or crowdsourcing that much, but DO make a priority to engage their followers. Everything else is totally right on!

Jane Chambers · 11 months ago

Your list hits the points that I check; the content of the person's posts may be the primary factor on which I base my decision.

Pete · 11 months ago

Great points. I especially agree with the ones about people calling themselves a social media expert, and then they only have one or two updates, usually along the lines of "just learning twitter... crazee", or something similarly silly.

I also won't usually follow someone who is following 1000 people, but only has 10-15 follows. Something has got to be up there.

Denise "Niecee" Garciano · 11 months ago

I just thought of another reason. Twitter Grader scores!!! Just because you got a 99/100 does not mean that you're worthy of following.

Jesse Gardner · 11 months ago

To help people better know what they're getting into when they follow me, I created a "Nutrition Facts" chart for my Twitter background image: http://blog.plasticmind.com/freebies/twitter-nu...

Wifi · 11 months ago

this is a new information

Joni Mueller · 11 months ago

Great minds think alike; my top five posted awhile back:
http://blog.pixelita.com/58/top-five-ways-to-ge...

And a newfound one today, which you touched on: Twitterers using Twitter as their personal RSS feed with no updates other than "Blog posted at..." over and over. Gah.

Jane · 11 months ago

Posting dozens of meaningless updates every day, sometimes even hour. I took
a shower. I ate lunch. I pooped. @johndoe What did you have for lunch? I have
a headache. @janedoe Nice to know you pooped, too.

Seriously, way too many people do this and it's an instant unfollow.

cory · 11 months ago

I mostly agree with you, but you kind of sound like a tool here.

Beth Evans · 11 months ago

No URL is the biggest turn-off for me because I can't figure out who the person is, and it makes them look not serious. I'll only follow people without a URL if they have good tweets and are friends with a friend I trust on Twitter.

Steven · 11 months ago

It basically comes down to being polite and having decent manners - very much like the offline world.

twitter.com/int23 · 11 months ago

Atherton,

I have to say this is one of the best articles that I've read in a long time. Totally spot-on and you really have an understanding of the word, "Community". If everyone thought like you did, Twitter would be a better place. I just found your website and can't wait to see what you have to say next.

snoebiz · 11 months ago

This is so true and something I've wanted to write myself. :)

Auto following does not make sense if you desire to take anything beneficial away from your Twitter experience.

There seems to be a lot of overly presumptuous twitterers lately and it can really stand to be put in check. I actually had someone recently tell me what I needed to Tweet and that I should not use DM features. Message to all: users are on all forms of social media for their own personal experience - not yours. Be respectful and never assume... you know where that gets you.

Mark Dunk · 11 months ago

Very good list. A personal "ouch" on your last statement
in Item 1. I tend to have lots of fun changing my avatar.

Unklar

Michael Durwin · 11 months ago

Top 10 reasons? I
had 16:
http://www.mdurwin.com/?p=242
I narrowed them down
from several dozen
I'd been posting for
new Followers on
Twitter.

Cynthia · 10 months ago

I''ve concluded ... Twits are on Twitter.

Ann R · 10 months ago

I don't think I've seen this one mentioned yet - I probably won't follow you if you're a dog, cat, horse, etc. I don't mean your avatar, I mean you're actually tweeting with an animal's persona. Some "critters" do have helpful tweets with useful links and others are quite funny on a limited basis (as long as they're not tweeting a lot). I'm following a couple of those. And I absolutely recommend following @LilPecan - the coolest guinea pig on Twitter!

Kaley Corgi · 10 months ago

Ann R, say ain't so, you won't follow a dog, cat or a horse? How specy-ist.

Ann R · 10 months ago

LOL - you got me! My life revolves around pets - my own dog & horse and many portraits of other people's critters. I just have to be selective of who/what I follow on Twitter, or I'd never get anything done!

Kim Bunker · 10 months ago

Thanks so much for allowing me to share your post. Great reinforcement of twitter etiquette.

Ms.Smith · 10 months ago

Good article for people that are trying to build their brands or conduct business. I actually joined to keep family and friends up to date. They are all spread out throughout the country and at times we are busy and unable to talk on the phone. Instead of continuously sending emails they can check the site. I've received positive feedback and they are now happy to be apart of the twitter community. A bonus is the opportunity to follow artists/athletes/companies etc. to see what they are up to. The amount of people that I follow outnumber the followers. I keep in contact with a small amount of people through DMs and that's fine with me. If you decide not to follow me eh..not a big deal to me. Life goes on.

ms.smith · 10 months ago

I like Nick B's rule #11

Mario · 10 months ago

Wow, this was a helpful article. I am very new to twitter so this will definitely help. Thanks!

D. A. Shaver · 10 months ago

Is twittering about your business really so bad? Don’t you have to live, eat, and breathe your business just to get by?

TwitterUser · 10 months ago

I don't agree with your Point #10 "You do not engage your Twitter followers."

If a twitterer's tweet stream is primarily composed of obscure @replies to other users with no meaning to me that I can discern, I find this a huge turn-off. I have to wade through that person's @replies to see their regular tweets to try to get some idea of the personality of the tweeter. If I have to wade through, say, 10 pages to figure out the few tweets that aren't @replies, this gets annoying very quickly AND I WILL NOT FOLLOW such a person.

People who excessively use @replies seem to think Twitter is a chat room. It is NOT. If they want to chat, go to AIM or an IRC channel. Twitter to me is about self-expression and humor. More than anything, I personally look for tweeps who tweet funny stuff that makes me laugh. I don't care if they don't use @replies and frankly, I would rather they did not.

For me, although I use a few @replies, I generally delete them by the end of the day so that my tweet stream stays relatively pure. Someone can easily scan my page and figure out if my humor is for them. They can scan my first page and get a good idea of who I am as a person.

This brings me to the final reason I will not follow someone back, assuming their tweets are funny and interesting. And that is if they tweet too often. Really, I don't want to hear from you more than 10 times per day, max. If you only tweet two or three times a day, for me this is even better. It's quality, not quantity!

But the number one thing I look for is @replies, and if you overdo them, I will NOT be following you.

Beckett Gilchrist · 10 months ago

This was a great article. Really made me think about my Twitter life and how I can expand it.

I've included this in my blog. Thx.

http://pixelvoiceblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/twit...

Curtis N. Bingham · 10 months ago

I'm relatively new to twitter, and am interested in the automatic DM tool you mentioned. Where can I find out more? Could you share any of the "messages are carefully crafted and [...] go far beyond the garden variety “click my junk” automatic direct message"?

Steve Orris · 10 months ago

I found this article through twitter so obviously I passed through someone's filter. Very good reasons. Mine in particular is the picture. If someone doesn't even have a decent picture of himself it is not likely I will get to his bio which is my second criteria. Great insight.

Alex · 10 months ago

This one is kind of a stretch bc it greatly depends on your brand/situation but i have a relatively narrow field of interest on twitter so i wouldn't accept followers who are going to contribute tweets that have absolutely nothing to do with my field, UNLESS they are the type of tweet-ers who just post a wealth of very interesting things. So basically, if I represent a company that sells Clocks I won't return a follow from someone who represents Wine or Carpet because I don't want a ton of wine and carpet related posts filling up my feed. I also un-follow people who post tweets every 3 minutes so my entire feed is just them. Who does that.

Alex · 10 months ago

This one is kind of a stretch bc it greatly depends on your brand/situation but i have a relatively narrow field of interest on twitter so i wouldn't accept followers who are going to contribute tweets that have absolutely nothing to do with my field, UNLESS they are the type of tweet-ers who just post a wealth of very interesting things. So basically, if I represent a company that sells Clocks I won't return a follow from someone who represents Wine or Carpet because I don't want a ton of wine and carpet related posts filling up my feed. I also un-follow people who post tweets every 3 minutes so my entire feed is just them. Who does that.

Curtis N. Bingham · 10 months ago

Fantastic post. Is there value in keeping excessive tweeters and perhaps filtering them out of the daily stream so you can go back and catch up? Or is it better to simply unfollow?

Curtis N. Bingham · 10 months ago

Fantastic post. Is there value in keeping excessive tweeters and perhaps filtering them out of the daily stream so you can go back and catch up? Or is it better to simply unfollow?

verywendy · 10 months ago

I hope there are allowances for newbie mistakes:)
Thanks for the info
@verywendy

verywendy · 10 months ago

I hope there are allowances for newbie mistakes:)
Thanks for the info
@verywendy

Ron Graham · 10 months ago

Everything you've written here is true, to varying degrees depending on the reader. But there's just a hint of bitterness of spirit here which begs the question: are you someone worth following?

Just sayin'.

Ron Graham · 10 months ago

Everything you've written here is true, to varying degrees depending on the reader. But there's just a hint of bitterness of spirit here which begs the question: are you someone worth following?

Just sayin'.

Bob Crawford · 10 months ago

I'm amazed at some of the new followers that I get. It is obvious that they spent hours clicking away to follow a thousand people, but they only post one update and it's an affiliate link... if only they spent as much time tweeting interesting comments they would have a thousand followers instead of the twenty-five or so that they have.

Bob Crawford · 10 months ago

I'm amazed at some of the new followers that I get. It is obvious that they spent hours clicking away to follow a thousand people, but they only post one update and it's an affiliate link... if only they spent as much time tweeting interesting comments they would have a thousand followers instead of the twenty-five or so that they have.

Gerald Weber · 10 months ago

Especially 1,2 and 5

If someone can't take 2 second to change the default avatar then they clearly aren't taking Twitter seriously.

2 Pretty much goes along with one. It only takes a moment to put a couple of lines in your bio. If this is too much work for someone why would I want to follow.

5 Ah yes the social media guru who has just been on Twitter for one month. How did I ever live before this guy came along?

Gerald Weber · 10 months ago

Especially 1,2 and 5

If someone can't take 2 second to change the default avatar then they clearly aren't taking Twitter seriously.

2 Pretty much goes along with one. It only takes a moment to put a couple of lines in your bio. If this is too much work for someone why would I want to follow.

5 Ah yes the social media guru who has just been on Twitter for one month. How did I ever live before this guy came along?

Alex · 10 months ago

Yup, pretty much sums it up ;)

Though to be fair, I do tend to give new starters a chance by waiting with my return follow until I can see some action of that twitter account.

Alex · 10 months ago

Yup, pretty much sums it up ;)

Though to be fair, I do tend to give new starters a chance by waiting with my return follow until I can see some action of that twitter account.

Leon Palmer · 10 months ago

I will no longer follow you if the links you post are, more often than not, broken.
I will no longer follow you if you frequently fill dead space with posts like "My left shoe feels like a green baboon today." - even if you are a social media "expert" AND a stand up comedian.

Leon Palmer · 10 months ago

I will no longer follow you if the links you post are, more often than not, broken.
I will no longer follow you if you frequently fill dead space with posts like "My left shoe feels like a green baboon today." - even if you are a social media "expert" AND a stand up comedian.

EVE · 9 months ago

you forgot: "you don't write in english"

Matt Mitchell · 9 months ago

I'm always put off by the very fact that people want more followers. Why? Nice to interact with people and pick up their viewpoints, but there's little to be gained by extra followers per se.

timethief · 9 months ago

When I first became a twitter user I was deluged with followers who were all marketing products or services. I experienced follower requests from all the types you have described and spent ages visiting those requesting to follow me only to find out I had no interest in making them followers. In the end I simply decided to protect my tweets and not use the service for blog promotion purposes. I now use it only for chatting with friends. From time to time I do get follower requests from marketers --- ugh! I decline them.

Natalie · 9 months ago

Great post, I learnt a lot and I'm going to check out the other Twitter articles (I have a twitter account but I don't really know much about it). I have a comment about item 6 (it's actually a question but I don't really expect an answer, so maybe it's a rhetorical question).

Almost my entire internet presence is as a result of my work as the internet marketing director for a bricks-and-mortar manufacturing company. My work is not intended to necessarily actually result in direct sales - most of our sales are in the real world to retailers, but since our product, and the material it is made from, is not well-known in the English-speaking world, my work is to raise the profile of our company and our product's main ingredient.

I dont' know if I would go so far as to say that all my Tweets are "...always, only, about pushing [my] own service/product", but since I assume that anyone following me has an interest in our business or the plant (botanical plant, not manufacturing), I feel weird about posting non-business-related Tweets. Where is the line? I don't want to seem unprofessional by posting personal info, and I also don't want to bother people by tweeting all the time.

Maybe I just have more to learn about how Twitter is used.

BTW my Twitter name is Seabuckthorn, in case anyone is curious.

Richard Holt · 9 months ago

You don't sound very friendly, you should always be nice to people at parties.

I don't think I'll follow you either.

®

Robin Bastien · 9 months ago

I agree with number 5. Far too many people are "Social Media experts" and/or "SEO"
consultants. I have no problem with them following myself, but reciprocating
will often start to spam your feed.

ennyman / ed newman · 9 months ago

Great "top ten" list... though the ones with minimal updates don't bother me because they just don't clog the system. The constant chatter of a 24/7 blab-tweeter is not what I want. "I am going to the bathroom. I am washing my hands, I am leaving the bathroom. I am walking back to my desk."
Ugh

And the one about people not yet having an identity... My opinion is that if you/we want participants, we should allow them to discover what Twitter is FOR THEM. That may take time, just like Blogging. There are some poor folk who are simply getting online for the first time... They need encouragement, not flaming.

Ah, but this was a great set of notes and observations.
e.

hannibal666 · 9 months ago

(1) @hannibal666 follow everyone that follows @hannibal666. @hannibal666 welcome all to the barbeque with open heart, deep appetite and a spicy pig sauce

(2) @hannibal666 never unfollows anyone. Never Ever! Me promise. You may especially regret it if me find your tweets especially dim, dull or dumbass. @hannibal666 has memory like elephant! and me love to roast :P

(3) @hannibal666 retweets you if u retweets @hannibal666. Its reassuring to know where you
can sell your soul. Your friend in a time of need. You never know when it will be important to get the word out and then you will think of me @hannibal666

hannibal666 · 9 months ago

(1) @hannibal666 follow everyone that follows @hannibal666. @hannibal666 welcome all to the barbeque with open heart, deep appetite and a spicy pig sauce

(2) @hannibal666 never unfollows anyone. Never Ever! Me promise. You may especially regret it if me find your tweets especially dim, dull or dumbass. @hannibal666 has memory like elephant! and me love to roast :P

(3) @hannibal666 retweets you if u retweets @hannibal666. Its reassuring to know where you
can sell your soul. Your friend in a time of need. You never know when it will be important to get the word out and then you will think of me @hannibal666

John MacIntyre · 9 months ago

I got a kick out of the image in #6. It's kind of sickening to know that image was probably originally created as a "positive" offer my services type of thing, instead of the current intrusive, in your face spam it has become. In reality though the image would be more like reality if you had 50 hands all trying to shove thier business card into your pocket or dial your phone for you! ;-)

sophie · 9 months ago

I agree with all but # 3....I happen to use a myspace page as a simple 1 page "business card" on the web and it is FREE & simple to use. I am not a teenager nor musician and do not allow my Myspace to have any junk or comments left on it. I personally feel you are void of Myspace research and could be missing out on some really decent Twitter friends/followers otherwise.
I appreciate when someone has a website/blog link (even if only Myspace) which I think is better then no link at all telling me who that person is...in good taste of course.

Brett · 9 months ago

If you use bad language...no follow. It just doesnt "fit" with why I use Twitter. Im not against bad language - drive on the freeway with me and you'll see. It just bugs me here.

If you're going on about your religious beliefs, or even if you mention them in your Bio...no follow. I'm all thrilled that you've got a nice imaginary friend to talk to, but I dont need to hear about that on Twitter. Again, just doesnt fit with why I use Twitter.

MsSmith · 9 months ago

I found your article interesting and decided to post a comment in January. I noticed my comment has been removed. That's grounds for not following you now. I still agree with nickb.

Gillian Shaw · 9 months ago

Excellent list! I have one to add to the list and that is people who follow you and then block their updates, thereby insisting you must ask permission to follow them. For me that is an automatic follow fail.

suddenly · 9 months ago

Mr. Bartleby,

I've never before read your column, nor have I ever heard of you. A link in some other blog brought me here.

This passage in your present essay caught my eye.

"We’ve all been there: You’re at a party hosted by that one fabulous friend, and populated with the best of your mutual circle of friends. The atmosphere is almost carbonated with excitement; the guests’ personalities flawlessly compliment each other; and the conversations that abound are infused with intelligence, caustic wit, and a wide variety of knowledge that ensures the complete absence of any pregnant, awkward pauses. Then, it happens: someone appears who just doesn’t…fit."

You've really touched me with this passage, for you see, I am that someone who appears who doesn't ... fit.

When I'm not removing the carbonated air from parties such as the one you describe, I can be found with my many friends. All are like me. You might be interested to know we have our own parties. And when we do, we sit near the walls with our heads down until it is time to return to our homes.

I wish you all the best.

s

Diana Allen · 9 months ago

Thanks, this is great information. I am new to Twitter and also interested in learning the most appropriate protocols. Thanks

Dave Tate · 9 months ago

Number 1 drive me nuts and 7 drives me insane.

Ronald · 9 months ago

This article sucks a lot of ass. You're a fool and you need to never write again!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyanka · 8 months ago

Auto posts are a big pet peeve of mine. I have one person I followed back that their posts always consist of:

~Watching {link to video on their site}
~Watching {link to 2nd video on their site}
~Watching {link to 3rd video on their site}
etc

I have a couple problems with this.

#1 I watch enough TV by myself, I don't need an update of what you are watching every 5 mins
#2 If it only took you 5 mins to watch that 45 min video, I guess it wasn't good enough for me to want to watch right?
#3 At least hand post it yourself so you can make some vain attempt to make each tweet look a little different.

Another favorite? People that follow you (so you get the follow message,) then must have unfollowed you (so their stats don't look one sided,) then they loose track of where they left off because you get a 2nd message from twitter (2-3 mins after the first message, sometimes less) letting you know they are following you again.

Gurprriet Siingh · 8 months ago

Good one! When I read through your list, I realized I had been following quite a similar filter in choosing which follows to return. And in fact, the filter stays on even after a follow, and when I don't find value, or perceive an irritant, I actually prune the list by removing some names.

Nothing wrong about it. It's just like choosing who I'll be friends with in the real world.

Thanks for this one!

Pam · 8 months ago

Number 346: For your avatar, you type your name, thus taking up 3 or 4 squares under Followers. Ego, much? No thanks.

OzAtheist · 8 months ago

Don't quite agree with #1
Certainly you should have a user avatar, but it doesn't have to be an actual photo of yourself. There are numerous people I follow who, like myself, use twitter partly anonymously. I still fully engage with followers, and they likewise, despite my true identity being somewhat hidden.

tinaschrader · 8 months ago

Hi, guess you won't be following me, then. :) No offense taken. I chose my myspacce website for my twitter bio b/c it's fully developed and people don't have to join to take a look at it. My FB site is great, too. Unless I'm mistaken about joining FB to see my profile. My myspace profile is nicely structured, so I figured, why not? It does have a younger audience, yes, but hey - it serves its purpose! :)

Dave Saunders · 8 months ago

Interesting that all the reasons are "your fault." There are plenty of people on Twitter who treat this "giant cocktail party" like a dysfunctional high school gathering. Perhaps they're not following you because they see the world like the "Star belly sneetches."

I seems a lot of social media oddities can be explained by reading Dr Seuss

lukas · 8 months ago

Very instructive thanks

Chris Cade: Inspiring 1Million · 8 months ago

You forgot a really big one (at least for me): People who are following exactly 2,000 people... since it's obvious they're doing the whole, "Follow you, unfollow you" thing to try and get enough people following them so they can go over the 2,000 mark.

-Chris
http://twitter.com/chriscade

Marianna · 8 months ago

I've noticed an increase in followers by bigger businesses & companies & they are ignoring your 3rd tenet.

There is plenty of advice on how to effectively tweet. A bit of research would help.

Adventure Girl · 8 months ago

THIS is GREAT! Although I will follow people with no photo, since many of my friends choose this method of staying anonym.

My favorite kind of thing tho, is all of the above, then they go for the "abusive" angle. Those get reported straightaway. I'll have none of that.

If you can't be nice... well... your out!
And... I do respond to all my tweets- it can take time, but well worth connecting. After all- isn't that what Twitter is all about. ;-)

Thanks again for the great piece of lit!

Adventure Girl

Are Morch · 8 months ago

Good article.

Dough I personally use these points more toward unfollow then not follow.

I also would add to unfollow/not follow peeps that has not posted no tweets/or is not active at all.

And peeps that keep send me commercial DMs without me requesting it, I will unfollow.

If you have nicknames like Iwantmoney or Iwanttoberich... equals no follow!

Cheers..

Rob Bunting · 8 months ago

Great article I was happy to retweet and hope will cause a lot of people to think about how they use Twitter and hopefully alter some their less helpful and/or more self-serving ways. Since Twitter is so new to a lot of people and their is so little guidance provided by Twitter on the website, some people are struggling with how to get involved in social media and posts like this one are a great help.

Kelvin · 8 months ago

Atherton Bartelby, you're a snob. And that's the only reason I need not to follow you.

Keith · 8 months ago

Couldn't have said it better. Great article!

Chris · 8 months ago

It's like High School extended.
I realize social media is the latest technology that will only get worse...er, I mean better.

I am sucked into by way of default - being in the entertainment industry almost requires this to keep up with your peers, the media etc...

BUT if I had my choice I would NOT be on any of it.
Yes, really.

This whole be my friend, buy my product, don't be my friend and buy my product, watch me brag, lie and fool even myself. Or maybe someone needs more ego petting, has no life or actually has one and neglects the real, living breathing humans in it for the internet.

Whatever. It's all a waste of precious life time we all have so little of.

I would take an honest job at a farm everyday, with my family and friends and hobbies then a life in the fast lane (no, I don't mean famous people, I mean social media - it's fast) twittering, facebooking, myspacing and blogging what little time I have left away.

With that said, I will find a way to stay on my artistic path with more freedom than I feel I currently have. The internet has taken what little we have left, including our dignity.

Here's to hoping I can do just that - find a way off the hamster wheel (while still making a living without kissing the worlds butt, begging to be followed, not unfollowed...whatever) and onto solid ground.

Good luck out there everyone.
I hope you lead full and happy lives.
Life is short. Don't forget.

Oh and just think, when you die, eventually all of the internet presence you spent a painstaking amount of time on, will just disappear. You will have taken years off your life trying to document it for people who could care less about it or you.

Michael Spray · 8 months ago

Thank you for your article. Your number 5 "expert" claims says more than a person may realize. It reminds me of the following quote attributed Margaret Thatcher, "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
One's twitter content and credentials should speak for themselves. (I am just beginning on twitter. More to come.)

stephen · 8 months ago

Quite like that list, definitely a few good points to ponder over, particularly personal branding, style-consistency and connection with 'friends'.
But I do believe promoting oneself via a SocNet is pretty-much what everyone is doing all the time online. We all have something to sell!

--
Seen on mashable.com (?)

Joe Curran · 8 months ago

This is a very interesting article and makes you think about the real value and real good that can come from Twitter, by "following" and building a "follow" in the right way and not just numbers... I personally do not get the need to have 1000's of followers, unless you are hawking a product and are looking at all those followers as being an advertising outlet for your products... Also, it is a great point in regard to Twitter people who cant take the time to put a photo or a brand picture on their profile. What is up with that? I agree, I really want to see something that I can relate to when I follow and not just a o-0.
Leaves the follow kind of cold... there is no connection.
Thanks for putting things in perspective and verbalizing some of the things I think many of us are thinking and feeling!!! Joe

Ann · 8 months ago

Thank you! I thought I was doing it wrong.

Ann · 8 months ago

Thank you! I thought I was doing it wrong.

Annette Fix · 8 months ago

Great post. You just hit all of my Twitter peeves.

Before I follow anyone back, I read their profile, click on their link to see what they've got going on, and skim a page of their tweets to see if they are interesting/entertaining/informative or if we have anything in common.

Additional #followfail reasons: Their site is a sales/squeeze page for anything (I hate those); numerous tweets of the same content promoting their products/services; and any tweet mention of how many followers they have/need/want.

@AnnetteFix - Author of The Break-Up Diet: A Memoir

dv8er · 8 months ago

Well, honestly you HAVE to draw the line somewhere. I mean, really.... you can have LOTS of followers b/c people find you interesting, perhaps. But in reality, how can you attentively follow 414K ?? You just can't... sure you can hit the "follow" button but it's pointless at that time.
Do I auto-follow? Yes.
Do I use Twitter for marketing? Yes. It works, if used sparingly and intelligently.
Am I ALL about myself on Twitter? No. I talk to people and try to be social... but they don't talk back lol...
Am I gonna cry if you don't follow back? Probably not. An intelligent person realizes that following gobs and gobs of people is unrealistic. It would be like asking every person in a football stadium to ask you a question at the same time... By the time you've responded to 1 comment, you have 20 more!!! Anyway, good day to you, all the same. Your posts are always entertaining and I like your blog sir. Even if you don't follow me back, YA JERK....

redwoodred · 8 months ago

Another glaring reason not to follow someone: when a user begins to follow you, and when you don't immediately follow back, they remove themselves and begin following you again. It is like jumping up and down saying, "Pick me! Pick me!" It indicates they are all about the numbers, not content, and I've met hungry adolescent dogs that have more patience. Immediate FollowFail.

Hazel Walker · 8 months ago

Thanks this is an excellent blog and I am going to book mark it for future use and add this blog to my humble blog roll. I also feel much less guilty about unfollowing or not following some tweeter.

Steve McClure · 8 months ago

Top ten reasons I won't read your blog: #1 Maxed-out advertising sidebar. #2-#10 irrelevant.

Carol Kanga · 8 months ago

#s 5 & 6 so true. How many tweets in 24 hrs. make a good twitter? Upkeep aspect scares me, a loner-artist type.

geetarchurchy · 8 months ago

Always worth remembering if you happen to be a journalist or PR to disclose when you're tweeting about something related to your work. If you tweet about everything your client is doing, for eg, you'll quickly alienate anyone following you. And as a journalist, it is always worth double checking exactly what you're tweeting and if it might comprimise your view or a perceived view of the publication you write for. If that's any thing self gratifying, that an unfollow straight away.

Heshie Segal · 8 months ago

I check every follower's website and tweeps. If there is foul language and if pictures are inappropriate for public viewing, I do not follow. I am new to Twitter and agree with what you have written. It is clear, concise and direct.

patty (tweeterchi66) · 8 months ago

Thank you so much, this is an great article. i found all of them to be so true. I don't care who follows me, i just like this way better than myspace, actually i don't have one and don't ever plan on having one. I love twitter, and to me its way more fun. we don't have to be like the Jones next door, it's plain and simple to use.
Thnanks for the article and i hope you have an awesome Easter weekend.
I'll follow anyone,(within reason) that I kinda know something about, because of their Bio, they actually have a picture (which was hard for me to get mine on there) but i did.
Anywho, I'm just rambling on like I always do. Thanks for the top 10 reasons people don't follow you.
Luv ya,
patty (tweeterchic66)

Vanessa · 8 months ago

Thanks, really enjoyed this. I am new to twitter and found this extremely helpful (as well as amusing)

thelostagency · 8 months ago

great post, i very rarely will follow those who are going to make you rich from just following your plan to get 10,000 followers in 1 day...

I agree that having no user avatar presents often suspicion when they have 1,000 followers etc or no updates...

p0ps · 8 months ago

The way I use twitter has been changing over the 3 years I've been using it. Altho I still look thru all follow requests and only follow quality profiles, I find that, now, I read more tweets I find in twitter search than I read from those I follow. A news report or topic I'm researching will send me searching thru the twitterverse. When I find an interesting tweet, a thoughtful opinion, report or link, I'll @reply or RT and follow. But, that may be the last I see of them, unless I come across them again in search. For me, following is a recognition, a compliment, but doesn't mean I'll read you, unless you're tweeting on a subject I'm investigating. Does this indicate the need for another service? My use would work as well with a comprehensive real-time web search or tracking with "like", reply & comment functions. For me, now, the follow-follower lists may only be vanity.

Facebook User · 8 months ago

I'm a relatively new twitterer; I didn't "get it" at first, but now I like it. My reasons for not following someone are:

1) Their name is a dead giveaway for why they're on Twitter. For example: Last night a guy was tweeting several times about how he smoked something and it was tasty. Finally I realized he was talking about smoking a ham, not a cigar. I sent him a message, laughingly telling him how I had misunderstood him. This morning, I'm being followed by "cigar_seller" (or something like that). Yeah, right, I'm gonna follow you. You found me by searching for the word "cigar" and you don't even know me. I don't smoke!

2) Your tweets are all advertisements. Nope, sorry!

3) If I'm following you and you have a negative view of the world, I'm not going to continue. I get enough negativity and snark elsewhere. I want helpful, happy people. I'm sure there are groups of sarcastic people to hang around with; I don't want to, personally.

I'm sure I'll learn more after I've been on more than a few weeks.

olivierBlanchard · 8 months ago

Hit. Nail. Head. I'm right there with you on all 10. :)

Valerie · 8 months ago

Thanks for putting it all together, I'd never get this down to 140 characters. =)

Michael · 8 months ago

Interesting point of view and one that actually is helpful to improve my twitter profile. Thanks for that. I have a few times, done the whole "let' see if I can get to this number today" but I was not doing it in a way I thought was negative.

I will keep these points of view in mind.

timferriss · 8 months ago

LOL... I love #7. I just have to point out that "“Thx for the follow! How can I help you get to a 4-Hour Work Week?" is NOT me! As much as I love using auto-responses elsewhere, I don't use one on Twitter.

This is a good list. I would offer that #10 can sometimes be difficult to gauge based on public @ replies, as some people -- I would be one example -- tend to communicate with specific followers directly via DM or e-mail.

Best,

Tim Ferriss

Suzy Miller · 8 months ago

The best thing you say is that you give people a chance - that is the spirit of Twitter. A couple of minutes spent checking their weblink (if they have one and it's not a myspace page) and seeing if they talk to anyone or just rant, is all it takes to 'vet' a new follower. I usually follow back and if they are just crass marketeers they will soon lose hope and disappear, leaving my stream full of interesting people who have developed this strange compulsion to share what they had for dinner, or a deep philosophical thought, or emotional pain - all of life's experiences. Beautiful.

Jose Castro-Frenzel · 8 months ago

Though, I have seen some guys really use twitter to stir up and rally people to join them in humanitarian efforts. These efforts have helped the homeless, constructing schools for kids, and water wells in Africa. If this was all the good that came from Twitter I would say that it was well worth it.

Pura Vida,

Jose Castro-Frenzel

thetrystero · 7 months ago

so basically, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. not sure what all this fuss about people not following you back is all about. move along now, children ...

Eddie · 7 months ago

Given your LARGE volume of readers, my guess is that a bunch already mistakenly assume that #7 is Tim Ferriss' real autoresponder on Twitter.

It would be a very kind gesture to add a small note in the post body specifying otherwise.

Mary Beth · 7 months ago

I totally concur, because until his post a few replies up, that WAS what I assumed.

Jason Barone · 7 months ago

For me, first impressions count. I still visit people's pages and a user's background sometimes influences whether or not I follow them. If someone is a self-proclaimed "social media expert" but is using the generic blue bird background, something just doesn't add up...

Mitch · 7 months ago

This was brilliant, and I made sure to share it with folks on Twitter. I actually wrote something like this, and I agree with everything you've said.

Dai Manuel · 7 months ago

Good post! Right to the point. I may or may not follow you back ;-)

Bess Cunningham · 7 months ago

Thank you for that information. I'm pretty new to Twitter and don't know the social graces as of yet. Your post was very helpful! I have tried to contact people to thank them for following me, but am unable to - there seems to be a problem with direct messages for some of us.

Sean C · 7 months ago

My main 3 reasons I don't follow back:

1) Feeds that have plenty of updates, but have still yet to move beyond that of the humble "sat watching tv" level of tweet.

2) I can't stand excessive punctuation(!!!!!) and text message spelling. I like to be able to read a feed without flinching.

3) To mirror others on these comment window, people who @reply and very very VERY little else.. aside from most probably "sat watching tv."

Sean (@seany85)

bobann · 7 months ago

Thoughtful and direct. I'll include this is my manual, "How to Use and Enjoy Twitter". Communication is key when introductions are necessary.

Bruce Peltonen · 7 months ago

I agree w/your post on the 10 pts. of successful social networking. All these social skills should be learned from infant on up. Those who have trouble w/them need to pay closer attention to the cause and effect of there decisions as they cruise through life full throttle. Maybe, slow down a bit and look around. But I was young once as well. It's all a life learning process. I still need to smooth some edges of my own. Bruce

Anna Vera Williams · 7 months ago

I can't stand auto-DMs. Plus, I actually used to think it was only polite to check people's profiles when they follow me, and follow them if I find them somehow relevant. Not anymore. I don't have time to check all those followers, it would take me days just to handle the backlog. Plus I don't want to follow hundreds of people who tweat about politics or stupid ideas. It blocks my ability to find the important tweats from the people I really do want to follow.

Sheree Motiska · 7 months ago

100% on point. I hope many many people get to read this and understand what is just not going to work no matter how many "experts" with lots of irrelevant followers aquired with the latest "get lotsa followers who don't give a crap what you say" viral software (spam w/ a catchy name) application.

@Web20Empire

Ollie · 7 months ago

Thanks Atherton for your well thought out and simple brief on how and why to Twitter - I found it really useful and it makes perfect sense - now I can Twitter the way I kind of intuitively knew I should.

Thanks again.

Ollie

Mary Beth · 7 months ago

You can set up an auto DM after being followed? That explains something. I added a fairly minor actress, and got a DM from her that said "Thanks for the follow. Looking forward to your tweets!" Which got me all excited at first that she actually followed me back. Then I looked, and no... she hadn't. So then I was like, wtf was the point of taking the time to DM me that if you won't actually be seeing any of these tweets you SAY you look forward to? Mystery solved!

Lauren Nymphont · 5 months ago

Yeah, I found out the hard way too. Lame huh? If yor not going to follow back, why give an auto reply anyways? There are some people I am OK with not following me back, and even don't expect them to.

teresa boardman · 7 months ago

Many follow me that I don't follow back for the reasons you have mentioned. Just about anyone who actually starts a conversation with me does get followed back. Some follow for weeks or months and then one day they say hello and I almost immediatly follow back. The people I follow are people that I know of people that I would like to know.

Dave · 7 months ago

The only thing I disagree with is the myspace issue. Before I found twitter in September I had MySpace, I STILL have myspace and link to my page at http://www.myspace.com/car4dave from my twitter profile. I also have a page on blogspot with jokes on it.

I am not deleting my myspace just because you do not like it. I would rather delete Facebook LOL

Pat Enderson · 7 months ago

Thanks for this article. I feel exactly the same way. I want to follow people who are posting interesting links and information.

Current pet peeve is people who only tweet quotes. It's as if they've taken to reading Bartelby's (sp?) for quotes.

I feel an obligation to provide quality information for my followers. http://www.twitter.com/pjend in case you want to check me out.

bcngr · 7 months ago

Well,speaking for myself,twitter has been my only experience of social networking.At first i was at a loss twitter seemed so sophisticated,people talked of websites and links?i did not quite grasp it all.Looking for a persona,i tried several conversation themes(as i don't have a brand)but couldn't get a grip.As a PC novice it took me a while to sort out a picture and background etc.I noted that some of the 'big boys' left me at that time,other gave me a chance and are still with me.It is now 2months later and at last i think i'v found my feet.My point is give us newbes a chance hook up again in a few months,you may well be pleasantly surprised.

Kathryn Booth · 7 months ago

Great article, but I'd recommend a little "grace" with point 1 right now. I've been working with 4 new users and we cannot post photos on the profiles due to a glitch that Twitter has been working on for several months according to their troubleshooting records.

chat sohbet · 7 months ago

Yeah, I have to comment on that too- what was with the wall?

myspacer · 7 months ago

get over yourself.

Paige · 7 months ago

Here's a good one: I won't follow you because I'VE NEVER HEARD OF YOU...

Rowena Cherry · 7 months ago

Bravo, Atherton!
I agree with every point you make. My issue is with the automated tweet that recurs multiple times within the hour, and the Twitterer is offline.

Jan Tidwell · 6 months ago

I appreciate your advice - I am very new at this and, perhaps I'm naive, but I never thought much about people following me. I wanted to follow others with various interests and knowledge. I am an academic librarian and trying to balance new media, old and new scholarship, and public service. Plus my own personal interests. I don't know if Twitter can help, but I'll hang around a while to see.

scollins · 6 months ago

Great list. I hope this is read by those that fail on several points.

Elena · 6 months ago

I will not follow if they only post @somebody.

Andy · 6 months ago

The best thing you say is that you give people a chance - that is the spirit of Twitter

Andy · 6 months ago

Great article, but I'd recommend a little "grace" with point 1 right now.

Andy Barcan · 6 months ago

I agree with every point you make!

Jo Ana Starr · 6 months ago

What you say makes sense, but Twitter clearly has a life of its own. For years, it was a place for teens to let their friends know which malls they were cruising and in 2009 it's become the premier online "mini-blog" business lead generation device. Even the most courteous Tweeps seem to have something to market. I know you're trying to maintain some level of decorum here, but I think that the Twitter will be what it will be until the next online "in" thing. Maybe then, Twitter will return to a place where friends can keep track of one another.

Signupandmakemoney · 6 months ago

Yeah, I hate it when you see a Twitter profile that has no Gravatar and is following over 1,000 people with maybe 20 people following them back. I hate it even more when the same person follows you with multiple Twitter accounts. It's like, which one do you expect me to follow, all of them?

Jennifer Beever · 5 months ago

A colleague was following me and was practicing #6 - always pushing webinars, products, etc. Ugh. Then, the colleague failed to RT me on a tweet I did with a link to a great video. Not only did they retweet my tweet with no attribution on Twitter minutes after my tweet, but they also posted it on Facebook with no attribution. Ugly! Failure to RT or provide attribution to the source of your information is definitely a reason to unfollow (and a reason not to want to do biz with the person)!

Lauren Nymphont · 5 months ago

Thank you for sharing this! #7 is definitly a #unfollow #followfail

Just now I got a follow from someone with a username like "webmasterresource" or something similar, being interested in design/developing general web culture I followed back. I receieved an autoreply thanking me for the follow with the question, "Are you an expert Twitterer?" Naively I thought possibly it was an article, like this one even, about using twitter effectively, so I clicked on the corresponding link.

Too my dismay but not surprise, it was one of those horribly designed cheapo-car-salesmen-like web pages with all caps red and black text spewing garbage like: "IF YOU"RE NOT MAKING $X,XXX DOLLARS A DAY ON TWITTER KEEP READING" and "GET XXXXX AMOUNT OF FOLLOWERS IN ONE DAY/WEEK/MONTH."

Meanwhile this person(s) had around 130 followers and was following over 600.

I gave them a direct message in return stating "Oh I should have looked at your website assumed you were a designer/depeloper from your username, my error"

Thought this may have been a little rude, but I feel better now after reading this. Thanks.

Lauren Nymphont · 5 months ago

Oops accidentally double posted. Sorry. Oopsie. Ever the klutz. Even online :P

Deborah Shane · 5 months ago

Thank you so much for confirming several observations and annoyances. I joined Twitter about 4 months ago, and marvel at what an amazing communication tool this is and has become. Having said this it is the wild west and it does give me "control" over who I want to follow and who can follow me. Thanks for helping me by what "value" you bring to my experience. Just because someone has a lot of followers is not a good reason to follow them. People who are authentic, engaging, service oriented, offer interesting points of view, usually get myattention. One thing thatmakes me crazy is ALWAYS RT with their @name.

Terri Robin Vernon · 4 months ago

Following-to-follower ratios are interesting. I agree that people following hundreds, with only a handful of followers are suspect. But the reverse is also true, IMO. I'm put off by people who have hundreds or thousands of followers but rarely follow back. Its sort of like having a conversation with someone who listens to you but every time they speak, you cover your ears. It just feels wrong to me.

ntrezowan · 4 months ago

twitter will be online until #6 dies....

GZ · 4 months ago

Dude, I just read your article and I TOTALLY agree. Nice work, stranger. ;)

@samjb · 4 months ago

Excellent post. Some Twitter followers obviously come from automated searches, as in the day I Tweeted about moving my laptop to work on the patio by the pool. Within seconds I had about 12 new followers including pool supply companies, billiard table companies, and a couple of pornographers who like to do it in the pool (complete with pictures).

I block questionable followers. I'd rather have fewer, quality followers who are actually interested in my content and perhaps retweet it to their followers than a whole bunch of people who add nothing to the discussion.

RL · 4 months ago

Excellent post. Some Twitter followers obviously come from automated searches, as in the day I Tweeted about moving my laptop to work on the patio by the pool. Within seconds I had about 12 new followers including pool supply companies, billiard table companies, and a couple of pornographers who like to do it in the pool (complete with pictures). I block questionable followers. I'd rather have fewer, quality followers who are actually interested in my content and perhaps retweet it to their followers than a whole bunch of people who add nothing to the discussion.

JB · 4 months ago

I accept new followers, but then if they incessantly tweet personal stuff I don't care about (like the kids in the carpool are fighting, or you can't find the keys to your car, or the copier just jammed again) I will unfollow and block you in a New York Minute.

viclogic · 4 months ago

And therefore if I don't do anything on the list, will you follow me.
I really agree with the list, they are the indications of a user who is just there but not really really doing his social responsibility. Hence, I will not also follow that user.

Grego · 4 months ago

This is a good article; Just can't agree with #3.
Not because I personally switch between that and another site as my url, but because I really feel that that has nothing to do with the quality of the person, nor their tweets.

For some, their Myspace is much more popular than their personal sites(which may be listed there)

leighrat · 4 months ago

One more addition: all of your updates are what you are eating.

EileenLeft · 4 months ago

How about people like myself who only argue with people when it is for a good cause like health care, or making our repairing the damage humans have done to our planet. Seems like these are important for all people and for the only planet we have to call home and worth the fight if need be.
But I agree on all the other points, and have been doing the same already for a long time now.

Delphine Zhu · 4 months ago

I couldn't agree more! Many of those reasons are why I will not follow back those followers.

Delphine Zhu · 4 months ago

I couldn't agree more! Many of those reasons are why I will not follow back those followers. I'll add another one: when your website is a sales page or leads capture page without valuable soft offers, I will not follow you.

Delphine Zhu · 4 months ago

I couldn't agree more! Many of those reasons are why I will not follow back those followers. I'll add another one: when the website is a sales page or leads capture page without valuable soft offers.

bigcharles · 4 months ago

My solution: I don't care about getting followers :-) I use Twitter to obtain the information I want, I interact with whom I choose to as time allows, then I go back to being productive in other ways. But an entertaining and informative post anyway - so thanks!

jeezem · 4 months ago

looks like we have to decide if we are leaders or followers

fas · 4 months ago

Very well said, its better to follow people who will return the favour with something useful rather than a DM.

charlieman · 3 months ago

Maybe we should stablish #fridayfollowfail to show people we wouldn't follow. It warns others and also the user itself that they are not using twitter the right way.

John · 3 months ago

10 Reasons why I can care less if someone follows me:

1. Twitter is just a suck-bag publicity stunt that will soon be a has been.
2. People on twitter think we actually care what they are doing.
3. 99.999999999% of twitter is spam
4. Twitter is just a mini-version of MySpace or other social networks with nothing worth getting hyped about.
5. Who the hell are you anyway?
6. Nevermind, I can care less who you are.
7. I don't need people knowing what the heck I'm doing 24/7
8. The entire twitter site looks like it took under 24 hours to program by some noob off of getafreelancer.com
9. Scratching my hind end is more exiting than using Twitter.
10. Twitter sucks. We all know it does but it's so populated by little grade-schoolers and fat 40 year old losers that live in their mother's basement that it appears populated by more than 99 percent of the earth's population. ...So the media eats it up because those are the two demographic properties they look for in "boobs that will buy anything".

Miss Britt · 3 months ago

#11 (or #1 in my book):

You're boring.

If you can't figure out how to be entertaining in 140 characters or less, get off twitter.

Kat · 3 months ago

My favourite: your name is Shelly Ryan

jolene1020 · 3 months ago

Thankyou, I found this very helpful.

Anthony James Barnett - author · 3 months ago

Some good advice, well thought out and constructive. You include a couple of my pet hates too. Thanks

Cheryl F. (The Lucky Ladybug) · 3 months ago

Terrific article! Those are most, if not all, of the same reasons I reject Twitter followers. I'll be citing this in a future article about how I Twitter.

Levi Lenaerts · 3 months ago

great article. Though a lot of these things are common sense, it is good to see them summed up and backed with examples! thanks!

Dick Schaefer · 2 months ago

Good advice, thank you very much. I have made offers available through Twitter for affordable advertising on my blog network http://www.leisureadvertising.com but I don't hammer people with it on every Tweet, still it's been disappointing for far as a marketing tool.

WallMountedHDD · 2 months ago

You expect WAY too much from your followers. And about #3...come on. Who cares? You're following them on Twitter because of what they post ON TWITTER, not because of their off-site content. That should be a bonus IF they have any. And do you really expect every average joe to spend $80 a year to $200 a month to lease server space and a domain just because it's 2009? What the fudge?! I would never expect that of most people, and I've had web space spanning angelfire, AOL hometown, shared servers, dedicated servers and even self-built servers for the past 10+ years. Ay caramba.

jolene1020 · 2 months ago

I think you have the wrong person, I don't do any of the above. I don't even know what you are talking about. Plz recheck who you are repling to, thanx. Have a good day.

jolene1020 · 2 months ago

Your'e pretty mean

Ciaoenrico · 2 months ago

Thank you for this - I've been trying to explain elements of this to people for a long time now, and finally I have a one-stop shop to point them at. "There. Go read that. Don't come back until you're no longer so douchey."

Christopher McGill · 2 months ago

Thanks for the post!

Name · 2 months ago

Follow fails - those who believe they are qualified to give advice about how to use technology (other than technical trouble-shooting info)