Twitter icon for a fluid app
Originally uploaded by mfilej
I blogged a few days ago on how you can follow thousands on Twitter or rather on how I manage to do it. It sure isn’t easy and I now follow about 1500 people (which I need to drastically cut down at some point).
Imagine following over 100.000 which was exactly Robert Scoble‘s problem. In a few words Robert – a blogger and technical evangelist extraordinaire – used to auto-follow everyone. He now unfollowed 106.000 people in one go and started building up his network again. Others have done a much better job covering what happened – including Scoble himself (as always see links below).
It’s not difficult for people who are a little bit new media crazy to remember that Scoble’s auto-follow tactic was debated far and wide – especially when Loic Le Meur decided sometime around February to clear out his twitter and build again. The discussion took a legendary life of its own (oh, you know all about the drama of the blogosphere I’m sure) and slowly became THE example when it came to discussing quality over quantity – even though I am not saying that Scoble or Le Meur were for one or the other.
There are two lessons I am taking for myself from this whole story
1. Learn every day
I’ve never met anyone worth their credentials who was under the impression that they knew it all. Especially in novel territories like new media it’s important to approach things with an open mind. Sure, strong opinions are great. Debate, stand by what you think, try it out. But – and this is the crucial bit – when it clearly stifles your creativity and goals, when the tool hampers you instead of helping you just change. Auto-follow works for some people, it doesn’t work for others. Try, learn the lesson, change the course, move on.
2. Don’t be afraid to back down (publicly)
I’ve sadly seen it too many times – especially in areas where our ego’s get in the way (don’t worry, I’ve done it as well). It’s difficult to back down when you have publicly and passionately advocated a position and now you find that you have to change that position. I love the fact that I’ve read so much from people who decided to mass unfollow – even though most of them were proponents of the auto-follow way. Most gave kudos to the other side, explained the lessons learned and moved on.
That’s what I like to see. Use the network, learn from experience, grow.
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Read on:
You are SO unfollowed! by Robert Scoble on Scobleizer
TWITTER PURGE: Top Twitter User Unfollows 106,000 People from Pete Cashmore on Mashable!
To Jump on the Massive Unfollowing Trend Would Be a Mistake on louisgray.com
Robert Scoble is Fake Following by Loic Le Meur on the Loic Le Meur Blog
Auto follow is like playing Russian roulette by Dan Morrill on TechWag
The network effect in web 2.0 is also its biggest tragedy on vanelsas
Twitter Robots Killed Me (And Why I Apologize I May Not Be Following You Anymore) by Loic Le Meur on the Loic Le Meur Blog
On friendfeed:
New Twitter movement: unfollow everyone. Discuss why or why not this is a good thing: on Robert Scoble’s friendfeed (the discussion)
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Following a database meltdown (long live the server move processes) this post and any comments were uploaded again manually.
