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New Media Fanboy

Just another new media blog

Techcrunch posted an article yesterday about a subject that has been on my mind for the last week or so - Twitter spam. The Social Times, CNET and others picked it up as well. It hasn’t become a system-wide critical problem yet, but as more users get on board the Twitter wagon you can bet that there are people out there ready to shove any manner of obscene, money-making, weight-losing, fake watch-buying, viagra popping ads right to your Twitter feed. And while that is definitely a concern the spam I’m worried about is the less-blatant type of spam from people you follow with interests. Michael over at Profy.com raised a similar question: What’s considered spam on Twitter? Well, here’s my take on it…

The difference between noisy and spammy

Some days I’m super-noisy on Twitter. Maybe something has my attention, I’ve had too much coffee - whatever the case may be - I’m noisy for the day. Then other days nothing stirs me and I’m quiet. That’s being noisy. I’m actually out there sharing links of interest, chatting it up and the like.

Why FriendFeed killed my Google Reader and FacebookMay 3

FriendFeed, the fun little social utility that aggregates all of your ’social’ activity in to one place and lets you share that mega-feed with your friends has relegated my Google Reader to the same status as junk mail and made Facebook like Ned Ryerson from my own personal Groundhog Day.

Ned: Phil? Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought that was you!
Phil: Hi, thanks for watching.
[Starts to walk away]
Ned: Hey now, don’t you tell me you don’t remember me ’cause I sure as heckfire remember you.
Phil: Not a chance.
Ned: Ned… Ryerson. “Needlenose Ned”? “Ned the Head”? C’mon, buddy. Case Western High. I did the whistling belly-button trick at the high school talent show? Bing. Ned Ryerson, got the shingles real bad senior year, almost didn’t graduate? Bing, again. Ned Ryerson, I dated your sister Mary Pat a couple of times until you told me not to anymore? Well?
Phil: Ned Ryerson?
Ned: BING!

What’s the right Twitter Ratio?April 20

That’s the question I was asked today via, wait for it, Twitter by one of my blogosphere friends Chris. I answered the right ratio is one-to-one. One follower for every person you’re following. Now, I’m not sure I’m sold on that argument. I tend to favor Scoble’s take on Twitter more.

My original thinking was it seems that balance - equilibrium - is a state favored by all systems; and so intuitively it makes sense that in order to be a contributing part of the Twitter community you’re somewhere near a balance between the people you follow and those that follow you.

But Scoble believes that the true power of Twitter is in the following - not the followers. From his post on The secret to Twitter:

But what does following a lot of people say?

1. You’re trying to learn more.
2. You’re trying to meet more people.
3. You’re trying to be a better listener.
4. You’re communicating to the world that you’d like to be listened to (golden rule: treat people how you’d like to be treated).
5. You’re trying to find out about more stuff. More events. More stories.

Now, who would you rather hang out with? A person who only talks and doesn’t listen? Or a person who listens to as many people as he can?

All great points. I d