Comments on: The Great Unfollow of 2009 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/ Sean Percival Official Blog Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:02:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Joseph http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-11537 Joseph Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:21:51 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-11537 I totally agree with your reason for un-following. My list actually got up to 11,000 Following and my feed was pretty much impossible to read. I've been cutting down the list every day by un-following certain keywords (ie. affiliate, $, etc) hoping to get it down to a reasonable number (now at 5K). Hope you have fun enjoying Twitter again! :) I totally agree with your reason for un-following. My list actually got up to 11,000 Following and my feed was pretty much impossible to read. I’ve been cutting down the list every day by un-following certain keywords (ie. affiliate, $, etc) hoping to get it down to a reasonable number (now at 5K).

Hope you have fun enjoying Twitter again! :)

]]> By: Denton Gentry http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10609 Denton Gentry Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:12:28 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10609 Any day now the lists feature should roll out more widely, currently only a small number of people have it enabled in their account. Once available, people could be grouped into small lists you want to follow closely, and larger lists you just want to skim. Any day now the lists feature should roll out more widely, currently only a small number of people have it enabled in their account. Once available, people could be grouped into small lists you want to follow closely, and larger lists you just want to skim.

]]> By: Gareth James http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10604 Gareth James Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:26:55 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10604 That's the way forward, just have a private account. Even following 200 people becomes too much. You end up missing the quality tweets from the people who matter. I think it will not be long until Twitter stops multiple accounts though. That’s the way forward, just have a private account. Even following 200 people becomes too much. You end up missing the quality tweets from the people who matter. I think it will not be long until Twitter stops multiple accounts though.

]]> By: Friday Links « MarketNet Blog http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10409 Friday Links « MarketNet Blog Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:48:05 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10409 [...] Sean Percival – SocialToo will help you unsubscribe from all your twitter friends and start over for a fee [...] [...] Sean Percival – SocialToo will help you unsubscribe from all your twitter friends and start over for a fee [...]

]]> By: Denton Gentry http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10369 Denton Gentry Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:23:06 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10369 There is one lingering aftereffect of mass-unfollowing everyone: Twitter keeps some state around that you once followed that person. If you follow them again, you appear down in the middle of their followers list instead of at the top where a new follower would normally appear. This can cause some consternation, as it kindof looks like you unfollowed _again_. More details here: http://jetsam.geekhold.com/inconsistent-twitter-follower-sort-ordering-n I suspect Twitter does this deliberately. If unfollow+follow moved you to the top of the followers list, the bots would all do it to try to get more people to follow back. Bots are enough of a problem already, without letting them completely take over the service. There is one lingering aftereffect of mass-unfollowing everyone: Twitter keeps some state around that you once followed that person. If you follow them again, you appear down in the middle of their followers list instead of at the top where a new follower would normally appear. This can cause some consternation, as it kindof looks like you unfollowed _again_.

More details here: http://jetsam.geekhold.com/inconsistent-twitter-follower-sort-ordering-n

I suspect Twitter does this deliberately. If unfollow+follow moved you to the top of the followers list, the bots would all do it to try to get more people to follow back. Bots are enough of a problem already, without letting them completely take over the service.

]]> By: Sean Percival http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10363 Sean Percival Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:05:59 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10363 @andrew Yes I took a big hit, which shows about 20% of those followers were bots, or just folks who auto unfollow anyone who unfollows them. Fine by me, rather have less followers who are actually listening. I have the secret account to follow a small group of people, mostly folks I've met in real life. I also use that to announce or rant about things I don't want to share with 10,000 (now 8,000) people. @andrew

Yes I took a big hit, which shows about 20% of those followers were bots, or just folks who auto unfollow anyone who unfollows them. Fine by me, rather have less followers who are actually listening.

I have the secret account to follow a small group of people, mostly folks I’ve met in real life. I also use that to announce or rant about things I don’t want to share with 10,000 (now 8,000) people.

]]> By: Andrew Warner http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10362 Andrew Warner Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:56:54 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10362 Looks like your follower count took a hit too. http://twittercounter.com/compare/seanpercival/ I noticed you tried using a secret account to manage spam. I guess that didn't work? I was thinking of doing that. Looks like your follower count took a hit too.
http://twittercounter.com/compare/seanpercival/

I noticed you tried using a secret account to manage spam. I guess that didn’t work? I was thinking of doing that.

]]> By: Joshuantaylor http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10347 Joshuantaylor Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:42:15 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10347 Thank god someone else agrees!!! I have slowly unfollowing even people I intentionally followed because they constantly spout worthlessness, all while trying to "help" me. The worst are the countless list claiming to be the top, or something I can't miss. Ahhhh Thank god someone else agrees!!! I have slowly unfollowing even people I intentionally followed because they constantly spout worthlessness, all while trying to “help” me. The worst are the countless list claiming to be the top, or something I can’t miss.
Ahhhh

]]> By: Sean Percival http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10346 Sean Percival Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:50:32 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10346 Also check out http://tweetblocker.com/ which helps filter out some of the junk accounts that follow you. Also check out http://tweetblocker.com/ which helps filter out some of the junk accounts that follow you.

]]> By: Divya Mistry http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10345 Divya Mistry Fri, 04 Sep 2009 20:48:00 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10345 I had no idea about SocialToo and Zee's suggestion of refollow! I did go through the same exercise manually some time ago and got a LOT of spammers off my list. But then again, I only have hundred-some followers :) And yes, I do have a "secret" account, I use it as more of a test bed. I'm glad to have found some cool peeps that way! I had no idea about SocialToo and Zee’s suggestion of refollow! I did go through the same exercise manually some time ago and got a LOT of spammers off my list. But then again, I only have hundred-some followers :)

And yes, I do have a “secret” account, I use it as more of a test bed. I’m glad to have found some cool peeps that way!

]]> By: Sean Percival http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10344 Sean Percival Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:41:52 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10344 @zee thanks dude @todd ya i don't follow any political twitters, talk about keyboard diarrhea. @zee thanks dude

@todd ya i don’t follow any political twitters, talk about keyboard diarrhea.

]]> By: todd sharp http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10343 todd sharp Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:36:12 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10343 I cut my list nearly in half earlier this week (from ~1100 to 591). I have to agree, Twitter is much more enjoyable without all the noise and political nonsense in my stream. Am I the only one who can't stand people talking about politics non-stop? And I don't care which side you're on - if all you Tweet about is your uber radical political beliefs then you're getting unfollowed from now on. Thanks again for leaving me on your list Sean. I feel honored :) I cut my list nearly in half earlier this week (from ~1100 to 591). I have to agree, Twitter is much more enjoyable without all the noise and political nonsense in my stream. Am I the only one who can’t stand people talking about politics non-stop? And I don’t care which side you’re on – if all you Tweet about is your uber radical political beliefs then you’re getting unfollowed from now on.

Thanks again for leaving me on your list Sean. I feel honored :)

]]> By: Zee http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/2009/09/04/the-great-unfollow-of-2009/comment-page-1/#comment-10342 Zee Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:21:25 +0000 http://www.seanpercival.com/blog/?p=3145#comment-10342 Check out refollow.com btw...seriously awesome tool to manage followers. Haven't quite come across anything as powerful yet. Check out refollow.com btw…seriously awesome tool to manage followers. Haven’t quite come across anything as powerful yet.

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