Comments on: Do You Follow for the Sake of Following?

By: Shanna

Shanna — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:37:42 +0000

I definitely think about who I friend on Facebook (don’t use Twitter). The majority of my Facebook friends are people I know in “real life” or have known online for more than a decade. I have some “friends of friends” also. I have both personal and professional contacts there. I would not friend someone who had been rude to me in the past, as you mention, or someone that I didn’t know at all. What’s the point?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:03:10 +0000

I can barely keep up with the people I like and know, or sort of know, let alone people I don’t like, or people I’ve never even heard of. The main issue is when people friend me, I feel rude if I don’t follow back; more so on something like Facebook than Twitter though. Not that I feel bad enough to just blindly follow anyone who follows me, but it is more pressure. I will follow people I don’t consider a “pal” if they have a blog I like though, or if they have a major common interest like architecture or unschooling, because then they tend to post links to stuff I enjoy.

By: Doctor Ty

Doctor Ty — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:57:31 +0000

I just started tweeting this weekend (haven’t made up my mind about it just yet), and so far I’ve been adding my friends & the bloggers I normally follow in my RSS reader (including you).

On facebook, about 95% of the friends I add I already know or know of. The 5% are friends of friends or people with similar interests. I usually decline random requests (no common friends) or co-worker requests from my medical career.

By the way — I’ve read your blog/articles since starting seriously freelancing in ‘06. Thanks for helping other freelancers. Your site has been a one-stop shop for a long time.

By: Therese

Therese — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:48:24 +0000

I have a few funny Facebook stories. I’m pretty much addicted to that site and have reconnected with former classmates (from grade school to college). Since I’ve joined Facebook I’ve had two stalkers (both friends of my friends who I think are desperate for friends). I also had this potential freelance lead try to add me as a “friend.” This same said person completely BLEW me off and couldn’t even give me the time of day to tell me/email me he wasn’t interested in my services. However, he felt it was necessary to add me to his Facebook friends. That really annoyed me so I didn’t add him.

As for Twitter, I still don’t really understand the microblogging concept. It seems pointless. I used LinkedIn for my business contacts. Twitter seems weird to me.

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:47:52 +0000

This is funny because the same thing occurred to me this weekend.

I rather like following blogs more then the social media which bores me. I like to learn and be challenged so that I have a solid understanding of what I am doing. I like to be able to question things to make an informed decision. Most of all the only way to be an expert is to be out there and let the chips fall where they will.

I think there are lots of folks who follow because they have a need to be included for the sake of feeling important.

Thanks and just for the record I think you are doing a good job with posting.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:39:17 +0000

I usually follow people that are at least making interesting or useful comments (e.g. not spamming), and I follow a few “estabilshed” writers and marketers because I want to learn from them. I like the fact that you can actually develop relationships with others on Twitter. My FB is mostly personal.

By: Jewel/Pink Ink

Jewel/Pink Ink — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:47:25 +0000

I am not quick to follow. I figured, once I follow, it’d be hard to take them off my list without making an even bigger statement.

And then again maybe I’m thinking too hard .

I’m thinking of blogger, btw. I am not on the other networks you mentioned.

By: c.a. Marks

c.a. Marks — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:51:08 +0000

On second thought, I see what you mean. I was following a lot of people but then they started getting on my nerves and discussing stuff I had no interest in so I narrowed my list down considerably. I don’t know why these people want to follow you, the ones you said that didn’t agree with you several years ago.

It’s still a good way to network with like-minded peeps

By: c.a. Marks

c.a. Marks — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 01:49:20 +0000

It’s a good way to network. Just suck it up and accept that people like you and want to follow you.

By: hidama

hidama — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 23:26:22 +0000

On Twitter, I will follow back anyone who follows me that isn’t in it just for PR or a spammer. If after some time I notice I’m not interested in what they tweet, I’ll unfollow them.

For Facebook, I’ve accepted all but one friend request, but have created categories that manages what information the people have access to. Since the increase of Facebook contacts since Twitter and blogging, I might change my mind.

Yes, I definitely think people “follow” or “add” just for sheer numbers. On Twitter people have boasted about how many people follow them, or tweet “I only need 10 more!” This behavior exasperates me. On Facebook, people search to find previous co-workers, classmates, and “friends from back-in-the-day.” There is little interaction to be had, but there is something prompting people to tell them that they need that interaction.

It’s social media consumerism. Buy it even if you don’t need it.