Comments on: Dave Winer is right about Twitter, but a bit melodramatic http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/2009/03/dave-winer-is-right-about-twitter-but-a-bit-melodramatic/ Social Media Intelligence Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:19:08 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jason Preston http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/2009/03/dave-winer-is-right-about-twitter-but-a-bit-melodramatic/comment-page-1/#comment-106 Jason Preston Fri, 13 Mar 2009 17:43:53 +0000 http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/?p=156#comment-106 <strong>Warren</strong> - I hadn't actually been thinking of it in terms of which users would be more popular to the mainstream crowd, but you're right - the ones on that list are far more likely to matter to the less techie universe. However, I still think it's important to recognize that there *is* monetary value in being on that list (assuming the list is constant), and it should be treated as such. <strong>Courtenay</strong> - That would be easier, yes, but I think it would be far less useful to the user. How about both? Provide a random list of active users for starters, and give users the option to drill down by their interests if they choose to spend the time doing so. Warren – I hadn’t actually been thinking of it in terms of which users would be more popular to the mainstream crowd, but you’re right – the ones on that list are far more likely to matter to the less techie universe.

However, I still think it’s important to recognize that there *is* monetary value in being on that list (assuming the list is constant), and it should be treated as such.

Courtenay – That would be easier, yes, but I think it would be far less useful to the user. How about both? Provide a random list of active users for starters, and give users the option to drill down by their interests if they choose to spend the time doing so.

]]> By: Courtenay http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/2009/03/dave-winer-is-right-about-twitter-but-a-bit-melodramatic/comment-page-1/#comment-105 Courtenay Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:55:06 +0000 http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/?p=156#comment-105 I totally agree that Twitter should be "hands off." What if, rather than making you fill out some sort of interests checklist - which I assume would require going through and categorizing existing users - they instead simply showed a randomized assortment of "active" users? ("active" meaning minimum of X number of followers or updates). Or maybe an assortment of those who updated in the last 30 seconds? I also don't like the term "suggested." It's a very loaded word. I totally agree that Twitter should be “hands off.” What if, rather than making you fill out some sort of interests checklist – which I assume would require going through and categorizing existing users – they instead simply showed a randomized assortment of “active” users? (”active” meaning minimum of X number of followers or updates). Or maybe an assortment of those who updated in the last 30 seconds?

I also don’t like the term “suggested.” It’s a very loaded word.

]]> By: Warren Sukernek http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/2009/03/dave-winer-is-right-about-twitter-but-a-bit-melodramatic/comment-page-1/#comment-104 Warren Sukernek Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:16:48 +0000 http://parnassusgroup.com/blog/?p=156#comment-104 Jason as you said, Twitter can be a weird concept for newcomers to get so a lot of the recent adds to Twitter (integrated search, trends, and suggested users) have been efforts to appeal to the mainstream. Recruitment of celebrities and other well-known "identities" is also tied to increasing the number of those mainstream users and keeping them active. I see the Suggested Users list in a similar manner. Twitter is recommending entertaining users that they feel will be very attractive to mainstream users. Whether we find them interesting or not, Britney Spears, Hammer, Dave Matthews and Sockamillion the cat are a lot more compelling than tech-heads Winer, Scoble and Calacanis. Jason as you said, Twitter can be a weird concept for newcomers to get so a lot of the recent adds to Twitter (integrated search, trends, and suggested users) have been efforts to appeal to the mainstream. Recruitment of celebrities and other well-known “identities” is also tied to increasing the number of those mainstream users and keeping them active. I see the Suggested Users list in a similar manner. Twitter is recommending entertaining users that they feel will be very attractive to mainstream users. Whether we find them interesting or not, Britney Spears, Hammer, Dave Matthews and Sockamillion the cat are a lot more compelling than tech-heads Winer, Scoble and Calacanis.

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