Comments on: The Dilemma of #followfriday

By: James McGregor

James McGregor — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 07:39:49 +0000

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.

By: 140conf.com and WordCamp Portland « Scott Porad

140conf.com and WordCamp Portland « Scott Porad — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 07:25:54 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Ohdoctah

Ohdoctah — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:28:42 +0000

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!

By: scottporad

scottporad — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:46:58 +0000

“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.

By: markpuck

markpuck — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:31:49 +0000

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 ….

By: scottporad

scottporad — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:49:27 +0000

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.

By: Micah Baldwin

Micah Baldwin — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:41:22 +0000

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.