2010.31: Why follow? When to unfollow?
I'll use myself as an example in this, but this expresses my own philosophy.
Like most of the billions of humans on the planet, I have some unique aspects, good and bad. I've lived half my life in the USA, half in Europe. I have had numerous careers in music, tech, PR, radiotelephony, voip and I've hung out with a lot of different types of people, not just one crowd. I try to curate links I find of interest and post them when I feel they are appropriate. I retweet, not to curry favor, but to reinforce things freinds have posted. I usually keep four-letter words at bay on Twitter even though those who know me have heard me say them all the time.
Twitter is a cocktail party. Walk around, mingle, but walk away from conversations or people that don't engage your interest.
So, follow me if you are interested in what I have to say, based on your interests.
You should periodically look at those you follow and remove people who never catch or retain your interest. There is no stigma to someone you stop following, even though there are tools for the insecure to know the exact Tweet before someone unfollows you. Was it that tuna pizza with Croze Hermitage that made you unfollow? Or the security alert about ATM hacking? If I post about food, it won't be a ham sandwich. If I post about wine, it will usually be about one that surprised me. If I post about sex... well I probably won't. And religion is in the heart, not to be bandied about on a lightweight medium with 140 characters to express an idea.
Unfollow me if:
- I start systematically notifying the world of my location
- I use any service that auto-posts something you don't care about (like a new avatar or a wine I drank) evey time I use it
- my stream is nothing but links to my own sites
- I try to sell you something
- I shill for a contest to win something I could easily afford
- I use sponsored links that insert ads at the top for a commission paid to me
- I direct-message you with a generic thanks for the follow
- I insult or disrespect any individual or group publicly (does not include companies, who so often deserve to be publically berated)
- anything I say offends you deeply (politics, religion, sex, Ebay, Orange)
- you lose interest in what I'm saying for any reason
Make sense?
Now get outta here, I mean it! (Bill Murray, SNL)
