Comments on: Hypocritical Mass: The Big Lie About Twitter http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/ Creative Strategy for the New Marketspace Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:29:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: mazarin http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-825 mazarin Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:37:42 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-825 I don't think it is a question of follower/-ing ratio. It is rather a question of noise ratio. How much noise do you have to go through to get something you find interesting? Interesting and smart people tweet about beeing stuck on train in Germany. They forget there is a "slight" difference between life-streaming and an interesting opinion. To follow 1 or 6000 today on twitter is equally uninteresting in the long run - too much noise in both cases. Lifestreaming is what clogs twitter. On the other hand, the same thing on Facebook is pure pleasure - because they are my friends. That is media for you. Opinion is one thing, chatting another. I don’t think it is a question of follower/-ing ratio. It is rather a question of noise ratio. How much noise do you have to go through to get something you find interesting?

Interesting and smart people tweet about beeing stuck on train in Germany. They forget there is a “slight” difference between life-streaming and an interesting opinion. To follow 1 or 6000 today on twitter is equally uninteresting in the long run – too much noise in both cases.

Lifestreaming is what clogs twitter. On the other hand, the same thing on Facebook is pure pleasure – because they are my friends. That is media for you. Opinion is one thing, chatting another.

]]> By: Liz http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-814 Liz Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:59:08 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-814 I've heard that "cocktail party" metaphor used for Twitter (and other social networks) since spring 2008 which is when I joined. And it was probably used before that. It's a commonly used analogy. I’ve heard that “cocktail party” metaphor used for Twitter (and other social networks) since spring 2008 which is when I joined. And it was probably used before that. It’s a commonly used analogy.

]]> By: Trey Pennington http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-812 Trey Pennington Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:53:51 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-812 You are quite right in your post. Size does not matter and is not a suitable point of public discourse. You are quite right in your post. Size does not matter and is not a suitable point of public discourse.

]]> By: Trey Pennington http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-811 Trey Pennington Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:51:38 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-811 Interesting post. Expresses the sentiment many share. The social media "cocktail" metaphor has been making the rounds for a while. Last month, while visiting friends in the UK (first met on Twitter, then in person 3,800 miles away from my home), I heard them using it (heard it in three places: Exeter & London, England, and Cardiff, Wales). I heard it twice in one day at a conference in London. The guy who used it in the morning was upset at the guy who used it in the afternoon because he thought the afternoon guy "borrowed" the metaphor from the morning speech. I think one of the first times Seth Godin used the metaphor is in this December 17, 2008 post: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/12/brands-social-c.html Here's a video from Open Forum, posted on YouTube April 18, 2009, where Godin again talks about social media and the cocktail party. Good stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0h0LlCu8Ks Earlier this year our real-life friends from MarketingProfs mentioned the metaphor as well: May 22, 2009: http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/1055/be-professional-act-like-its-a-cocktail-party Thank you for leaving the door of acceptability open for folks who are "following thousands" if that fits their purposes. You are probably quite right in highlighting the social blight of discussing size. When it comes to relationships, size doesn't matter and ought not be discussed in public. Interesting post. Expresses the sentiment many share.

The social media “cocktail” metaphor has been making the rounds for a while. Last month, while visiting friends in the UK (first met on Twitter, then in person 3,800 miles away from my home), I heard them using it (heard it in three places: Exeter & London, England, and Cardiff, Wales).

I heard it twice in one day at a conference in London. The guy who used it in the morning was upset at the guy who used it in the afternoon because he thought the afternoon guy “borrowed” the metaphor from the morning speech.

I think one of the first times Seth Godin used the metaphor is in this December 17, 2008 post: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/12/brands-social-c.html

Here’s a video from Open Forum, posted on YouTube April 18, 2009, where Godin again talks about social media and the cocktail party. Good stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0h0LlCu8Ks

Earlier this year our real-life friends from MarketingProfs mentioned the metaphor as well: May 22, 2009: http://www.marketingprofs.com/short-articles/1055/be-professional-act-like-its-a-cocktail-party

Thank you for leaving the door of acceptability open for folks who are “following thousands” if that fits their purposes.

You are probably quite right in highlighting the social blight of discussing size. When it comes to relationships, size doesn’t matter and ought not be discussed in public.

]]> By: Marc http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-808 Marc Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:15:47 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-808 Look at Jim Carrey, he has over 2K followers and follows 3 (one of them his wife and another of them one of his own movies or something). Now thats style! Look at Jim Carrey, he has over 2K followers and follows 3 (one of them his wife and another of them one of his own movies or something). Now thats style!

]]> By: Flow » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for November 6th - The zeitgeist daily http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-807 Flow » Blog Archive » Daily Digest for November 6th - The zeitgeist daily Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:25:43 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-807 [...] Shared The Big Lie About Twitter. [...] [...] Shared The Big Lie About Twitter. [...]

]]> By: Jaggs http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-800 Jaggs Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:06:31 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-800 This is THE definitive Twitter post. The Emperor indeed hath no clothes....! This is THE definitive Twitter post. The Emperor indeed hath no clothes….!

]]> By: Twitter : gare à l’hypocrisie | Code Rubik http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-799 Twitter : gare à l’hypocrisie | Code Rubik Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:43:30 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-799 [...] que je viens de lire sur le blog d’Atomic Tango décrit beaucoup mieux cette pensée : Hypocritical Mass: The Big Lie About Twitter . Prenez le temps de lire l’article au complet, c’est fichument bien écrit et ça fait [...] [...] que je viens de lire sur le blog d’Atomic Tango décrit beaucoup mieux cette pensée : Hypocritical Mass: The Big Lie About Twitter . Prenez le temps de lire l’article au complet, c’est fichument bien écrit et ça fait [...]

]]> By: theo geer http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-798 theo geer Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:35:04 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-798 You're absolutely right on this. Twitter is really useful. It can be beneficial and can create a revenue stream. But auto-following your thousands upon thousands of followers is disingenuous. My follower/follow ratio is 3.8:1. Not huge, but not 1:1 or less. I view Twitter as a great communications medium, and I've met some great people as a result. But I don't follow a person unless I'm interested in reading what they post. The people that follow thousands are probably broadcasting information, but not having lots of really meaningful conversations or interactions. And for me that's the value of the service. It enables open interactions that anyone can jump in on. You’re absolutely right on this. Twitter is really useful. It can be beneficial and can create a revenue stream. But auto-following your thousands upon thousands of followers is disingenuous.

My follower/follow ratio is 3.8:1. Not huge, but not 1:1 or less. I view Twitter as a great communications medium, and I’ve met some great people as a result. But I don’t follow a person unless I’m interested in reading what they post.

The people that follow thousands are probably broadcasting information, but not having lots of really meaningful conversations or interactions. And for me that’s the value of the service. It enables open interactions that anyone can jump in on.

]]> By: theotherRob http://atomictango.com/2009/10/27/hypocritical-mass-the-big-lie-about-twitter/comment-page-1/#comment-796 theotherRob Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:45:27 +0000 http://atomictango.com/?p=3049#comment-796 Still not twittering. Still follow blogs and news via RSS, something less than 50, and it's irritating sifting through that. Soon, others will realize Twitter is too irritating, too, for the same reasons and, like the stock market crash 10 years ago, this will all fall down quickly. Still not twittering. Still follow blogs and news via RSS, something less than 50, and it’s irritating sifting through that. Soon, others will realize Twitter is too irritating, too, for the same reasons and, like the stock market crash 10 years ago, this will all fall down quickly.

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