The Dilemma of #followfriday
What are now referred to as “hashtags” were originally proposed by Chris Mussina. Chris provides some good examples of how they’ve been used, in particular how hashtag use was more widely adopted with the 2007 San Diego fires.
Lately I’ve been beating the drum about how hashtags provide a transformational opportunity for Twitter. As I’ve been considering hashtags, there has been one that I have found particularly perplexing: #followfriday.
My good friend Micah Baldwin is the originator of #followfriday, and personally I think its grown into something much bigger than he ever imagined. Micah’s original intention with #followfriday was noble—he wanted to share with his followers the names of people who he enjoyed following.
But now, look at what #followfriday has become: the ultimate “audience builder” dream. According to Micah, there where over 100,000 tweets with the hashtag #followfriday last week. In fact, the hashtag is being used on all days of the week now which indicates to me that the term has taken on a generic meaning. What originally started a “pay it forward” gesture of goodwill has turned into a weekly orgy of follower building. In fact, in just two short months an entire ecosystem of web sites built up around the notion of #followfriday.
So, there are two interesting implications in my mind that fall out of #followfriday. The first is that #followfriday is the perfect nexus between the @ and the #.
The other is that the dilemma of #followfriday is also the dilemma of hashtags; when communities of users form, for genuine and noble purposes, we can see they can quickly become twisted away for self-serving purposes.
I must say, this causes me heartache. Micah never intended it to be this way. I believe social media to be a good and wonderful thing. However, time and time again I see its value diluted by people with self-serving interests. How can we prevent a system for communities whose purpose is to create connections between people from being overrun by those who will use it for their own gain? I do not know.
Ive always felt that social media is like any tool. It depends on how people use the tool that defines the tool.
Is twitter anything different than a hammer? No. Has #followfriday lost its original meaning? No. Have people (and by people I usually mean failed marketers) tried to use #followfriday to push their own agendas. Yes.
Whats the answer? Kill all good intentions?
I still believe in people’s ability to filter out the good from the bad (even if it happens over time).
FollowFriday is a good thing. And, over time, it will become part of the Twitter ethos. As will failed marketers trying to take advantage of a good thing.
Micah Baldwin
31 Mar 09 at 6:41 am
Kill all good intentions? Absolutely not. I didn’t mean to suggest such a thing in any way.
Rather, ya know what this post should have just said: Failed Marketers Suck. I mean, that’s the essence of my whole gripe about @ vs #. Failed Marketers are ruining the @.
So, maybe we can save Twitter with the #. But, then, take a great thing like #followfriday and let the Failed Marketers in the room and what you have is…what’s that old Yogi Berra saying, “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”.
It makes me sad.
scottporad
31 Mar 09 at 6:49 am
Scott, you are #1 on google for “failed marketers”, congratulations.
I’m trying to figure out who is and who isn’t a Failed Marketer and what one does to become a Failed Marketer? From what I see, nearly every active user of twitter is using it to push their own agenda in some way, be it personal and/or professional.
Is everyone that has every tweeted the #wefollow hashtag a Failed Marketer as well? I could be wrong but my assumption is that they are not doing it to join a community they are passionate about.
Or is it the people that put a space between #follow and friday? Or the ones that use #ff? Or is it the people that do it daily?
It seems like the most likely answer is that a Failed Marketer is a Twitter user that doesn’t use #followfriday or #wefollow or ….
markpuck
12 Jun 09 at 10:31 am
“From what I see, nearly every active user of twitter is using it to push their own agenda in some way, be it personal and/or professional.”
What you can see on Twitter is the people talking. What you can’t see–what nobody can see–are the people listening.
For example, my primary use for Twitter is as a tool for keeping up with what is happening in the web/social media/media business. What I find most valuable are the tweeters who are providing information (or links to it). I would estimate that I read 500-1000 tweets, and follow 25-50 links, for each tweet of my own.
scottporad
12 Jun 09 at 4:46 pm
As you saw my video you know I agree. You have hit the sweet spot. In the end a lot of people feel like this but it seems like the “good” people in social media are to good to call out the spammers and oportunists. Thinking it’s not my job to call them out. It’s funny how social media/networking has rapidly caught up to the real world. People worry about themselves and keep moving. I mean letting a scam artist scam the innocent is not a good thing. We are becoming so dosal (spelling?) and like sheep many of us fall in line and keep our heads down. It has to change!
thanks for listening I could go on forever!
Ohdoctah
13 Jun 09 at 8:28 pm
[...] and speaking at the Jeff Pulver’s 140 Characters Conference. I will be talking about the Dilemma of #followfriday. I speak at 12 noon ET and you can watch at [...]
140conf.com and WordCamp Portland « Scott Porad
17 Jun 09 at 12:25 am
I agree with your observations . Your sentiments echo my thoughts. It is a shame that it is going the way it is. #followfriday is spam.
James McGregor
18 Jul 09 at 12:39 am