Comments on Mike Billeter (.com): Why I'm sick of “How NOT to use Twitter” posts...

-Prince Raham Glad this post was able to connect w...

2009-05-24T12:24:59.399-05:00

-Prince Raham
Glad this post was able to connect with you so well. You've clearly seen my thoughts on it all, but it's great that you have consistently been able to tweet what you want to tweet (which is usually awesome and deep philosophical wisdom that I thoroughly enjoy) without losing followers or having people tell you "you're doing it wrong." It's a perfect example of doing what you want to do without letting outside influence change how you want to be. Thanks for stopping by the blog and sharing your thoughts.

Hey Mike, it's your boy from the Windy City. This ...

2009-05-22T14:37:58.619-05:00

Hey Mike, it's your boy from the Windy City. This post was awesome. I appreciate your candor and honesty. I'm a perfect example of not following those "How NOT to use Twitter" articles. And you know what, I've never noticed a decrease in my followers...

-Jennifer: I'm glad you haven't had to see those t...

2009-05-03T12:16:00.000-05:00

-Jennifer: I'm glad you haven't had to see those tweets/blog posts. Although, if you do now, you'll probably see where I'm coming from even more. It's great that you've remained free of the shackles of "How not to use Twitter" posts.

-Holli: It's good to have you with me. It's refreshing when people don't have the "They don't follow me back, so I won't follow them" mindset. I've never understood how that became such a necessary component of certain Twitter users' mindsets. I'd rather know a person actually "follows" my tweets rather than having them get glossed over in their stream with the other 2500+ people they follow.

-Dede: It's so unfortunate when that kind of stuff can ruin an experience. Let creative freedom reign free. That's what makes the untested waters exciting in the first place. I don't get why human nature is to take great, open-minded things and structure them with a set of rules. I guess some of us are just social networking rebels.

-M!les: I'm glad you agree. Although I often consider you mortal enemy because it's just more fun that way, you are certainly right. I tried to explain that in my devil's advocate section of my post, and I think your comment directly reflects that. I'm all for best practice, I just don't like one industry's best practice becoming the set standard for anyone and everyone. But I thought you did a great job of "Demystifying" Twitter in the webinar without making it a set of rules.

Also, thanks for the appreciation of the Wilhelm reference.

I concur with the opposition to "the rules&qu...

2009-05-03T10:43:00.000-05:00

I concur with the opposition to "the rules". It's interesting that I read this so long after it was written because L&S just did a Twitter-related webinar in which we discuss our own list of "dos and don'ts" for Twitter.

But, Miles, doesn't that make you and Mike Billeter mortal enemies now?

Absolutely not. Our rules of etiquette were aimed at corporations who want to use Twitter as a marketing platform. There are NO rules when it comes to personal usage, but when you're a business trying to create (or engage in) a dialogue about your company or product, there are some best practices to go by.

I think people have equated the "follow" paradigm with the "friend" paradigm, and they are not at all the same. Twitter is not about being friends with someone; it's about following their dialogue. If you no longer care for what they say (or how often they say it), there's no reason you can't unfollow them.

Also, awesome Wilhelm reference.

I agree with you !! I am so tired of worrying what...

2009-05-02T01:49:00.000-05:00

I agree with you !! I am so tired of worrying what is right or wrong with social networking sites. What happens is that it restricts you creatively speaking too because you are afraid to say anything. I rarely go on Linkedin because they did not treat me well over emails I sent to my own coworkers!!!

In fact, I follow someone who almost always posts ...

2009-04-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

In fact, I follow someone who almost always posts about what she's eating. (Well, usually she lists nutritional information with it, too. But still.)

I'm a "normal" tweeter and I know I am not followed back by everyone I follow. And I don't follow back everyone who follows me. It's a good relationship.

Excellent. I haven't seen those tweets and am glad...

2009-04-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

Excellent. I haven't seen those tweets and am glad of it. The fact that you can NOT follow people should be enough, you don't have to tell people what to write!

Ridiculous!

-SINgleGIRL: Exactly. Plus, I look it at this way:...

2009-04-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

-SINgleGIRL: Exactly. Plus, I look it at this way: Why would you ever join a game/group/etc. where your introduction is "Here's what not to do..." If you were explaining football to someone and the introduction began with "Here are all the ways you can break rules," no one would ever want to play. I'm all for helping people along, but not when it comes at the expense of just learning things for yourself first.

-Michele: Mos def. It's like certain people think of Twitter as their personal RSS feeds, where they control the content coming in. Twitter, to me, is about discovering new things, whether it's food, music, or professional insight. The suggestion that things like that should be limited or avoided doesn't help anyone discover anything.

I think "How to get the most out of Twitter" posts are much better, but the problem lies in who they are aimed at. When a social media person writes a solid post on how to use Twitter well, it's likely aimed at others in that field. Then it gets passed around Twitter and suddenly the 64 year old who just joined thinks that she needs to be tweeting tinyurl's of news stories rather than sharing her day with friends and family who follow her because they care about *her*, not a link to a news article or Domino's Pizza video.

On that note, I think as long as a "how to get the most" post is worded in a "these are suggestions, not rules" tone, it's all gravy. No reason not to help people along. Just don't limit them.

I feel like some kind of Twitter freedom fighter or something.

I LOVE to Tweet about food. Cooking is a hobby and...

2009-04-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

I LOVE to Tweet about food. Cooking is a hobby and I am always looking for other #glutenfree #vegan Tweeps to follow, or get them to follow me. How about a 'How to get the most out of Twitter' post?

Absolutely. I'm hoping that EVERYONE will eventua...

2009-04-16T10:21:00.000-05:00

Absolutely. I'm hoping that EVERYONE will eventually tire of the "How NOT to use Twitter" posts. If I don't like what someone is tweeting, I stop following them. In fact, I do it all of the time. Frequently to people who repeatedly tell me how to tweet.