Comments on: Social Networking – Your Way or Mine?

By: Stan

Stan — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:51:41 +0000

Good post, James. I have mixed feelings about #ff. When I first joined Twitter and became aware of the habit, I joined in - somewhat naively - with a flurry of names. It didn't take me long to realise that this wasn't a very meaningful way to do it. I (gently) scolded a friend recently for posting three tweets full of #ff names in rapid succession.

Many Fridays I don't even do a #ff, but when I do I tend to recommend a small number of Twitterers, with a short reason for each. Maybe I'll cut it down to one or two a week. Reasons help enormously, I think. Unless you have considerable influence and credibility on Twitter, posting a frenzy of names without any context is unlikely to be followed up on, to any significant degree. I suspect that if there is a personal touch to a recommendation, it's far more likely to lead other Twitterers to investigate it.

I appreciate Niall's frustration but I strongly disagree that #ff is a "pathetic waste of time". It has led me to some wonderful Twitterers whom I might not otherwise have found, at least not so quickly. But like any technology or adaptation thereof, it ought to be used with restraint, judgement and good sense.

Mark's solution is one that has occurred to me too. It would be very handy to be able to temporarily block a hashtag, a word, or a Twitterer, without the rigmarole of unfollow-refollow.

By: Joe Lennon

Joe Lennon — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:38:12 +0000

You're spot on James – I think this particular post would have been better suited to Niall's personal blog than the SZ blog. If Niall and SZ are insistent on spreading personal opinion on SZ, they should at least reinforce any points with some explanation, rather than take the draconian “Thou shalt not post #ff because I don't like it” approach.

At the end of the day, noone is forcing Niall or anyone to click on each username and “check them out” – it's completely at that person's discretion to do so, and if #ff posts really bug you then just stop following everyone who posts them. Of course, that would probably leave you following very few people.

By: Mark Robinson

Mark Robinson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:23:19 +0000

Simple solution – ability to hide tags so you dont like #followfriday just hide em all. Trend whoring bugs me more #rubycard

By: James Gallagher

James Gallagher — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:06:05 +0000

It's like eating no-added-sugar foods, less guilt :P

By: James Gallagher

James Gallagher — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:05:32 +0000

When some like this persists it's often for a good reason. In this case, I believe that the avenue for people to recommend others who wouldn't otherwise get noticed is very powerful and cements the relationships that make Twitter such a force.

By: James Gallagher

James Gallagher — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:02:52 +0000

Well that's it Niall, things can come out badly whether intentioned or not. I see a lot of value in Follow Friday and it has certainly introduced me to some excellent people along the way. What concerns me though is that any grass roots activity gets stifled and so I couldn't leave it unchallenged :)

By: Niall Harbison

Niall Harbison — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:20:42 +0000

James, thanks for the feedback. First of all I aint no “game changer” so have to call you out on that one :) The tone wasn't meant to be obnoxious but I just kinda write in the way it comes out of my head which usually means it being a little like shooting from the hip. I have never liked fFollow Friday since I have been on Twitter as I just think it is a waste of time especially when the list gets so long but as I always say twitter is a democracy and if people don't like what they see they can always hit the unfollow button.

Couple of people left comments that a good way of doing it would be #followfriday with just one person and a quick explanation about why to follow them. That defo sounds like it would make more sense.

By: Ellen Dudley

Ellen Dudley — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:16:00 +0000

Wow, I'm surprised Simply Zesty wrote that – as you said, the tone more than the content. Maybe they saw the inventor of #FollowFriday on Gnomedex – Micah Baldwin – he was apologising about it, so maybe in the states they are sooooo over #FollowFriday, and SimplyZesty are trying their damndest to seem clued in :) (p.s Isn't damndest a funny looking word?)

By: stephysite

stephysite — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:09:45 +0000

But I like to follow people…it's like stalking them, but not really! :)

By: James Gallagher

James Gallagher — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 04:05:27 +0000

We might be able to get that to trend :)