Why do people you don't know start following you on Twitter, anyway?

[Ken Cheng]

Last year, on rosely's advice, I signed up for Twitter, but never really used it. For one thing, I couldn't quite figure it out and, more importantly, it just failed to interest me.

Nonetheless, I've been getting a fairly regular series of notices that people are "following" me on Twitter. I don't know any of these people, and I assume they don't know me either. Why are they interested in "following" a stranger?

[leorio]

To see if the stranger turns out to be interesting? I don't know either.

I use twitter just to keep up with what my friends are doing, especially those who live in other towns/countries.

[remember_Cedric]

With that, I can only come to 2 conclusions. One, Twitter lied to make you feel good so that you will begin to show off by twitting away on what you are doing, what you have been doing, what you can do or simply FML. Two, the follower is a female version of rosely, who knows you remotely and begin admiring you for reasons only heaven knows. The end.

[Guo Xiang]

I don't really understand Twitter... so I kept to Facebook. I try not to add people I don't know.

[rosely]

LOL ^^.

Unlike Facebook or other form of social-network, as I've told you before, Ken, twitter is like IRC chat on a global scale. Millions of people talking at the same time.

And then there is this feed update call Trending that let you know all the latest issue of what happen on Planet Earth, based on what all those collective people on twitter are talking about. Think Twitter as a Borg Collective, resistance is futile lol.

People follow randomly because they want to increase their follower. It's a norm and a tradition to follow back people who follow you. There is no harm done when you follow people or when people follow you.

Because unlike SPCNET wall or Facebook wall for example, on Twitter people cannot posts to your wall. They can only read what you posts. Even if they want to reply to your posts, they still need to do it on their own wall

[rosely]

This is what I'm talking about - Twitter Trending: http://whatthetrend.com/

[Suet Seung]

Twitter is lame. Everything can be done on Facebook, status updates and what not, rendering twitter obsolete.

[rosely]

Twitter is lame. Everything can be done on Facebook, status updates and what not, rendering twitter obsolete.

Haha, status updates in FB is just a status from your friends only, however the Twitter Trending is the most talk about of all those millions Twitter user.

I mean how many friends can you have on FB compare to the millions status updates on Twitter.

[Ken Cheng]

Haha, status updates in FB is just a status from your friends only, however the Twitter Trending is the most talk about of all those millions Twitter user.

I mean how many friends can you have on FB compare to the millions status updates on Twitter.

It's pointless, though, because who could keep up with millions of pieces of data anyway? Especially considering that 99.9% of them are useless/uninteresting.

[KeongJai]

Nonetheless, I've been getting a fairly regular series of notices that people are "following" me on Twitter. I don't know any of these people, and I assume they don't know me either. Why are they interested in "following" a stranger?

Maybe they're bored.

[kidd]

People who request to follow me usually are people who have thousands of followers and following thousands of people. They also usually have a blog and product to promote/sell. So, I think it's just for advertising. So far, I've only approved one such request because I like what he wrote.

It's a norm and a tradition to follow back people who follow you. There is no harm done when you follow people or when people follow you.

Oh. I didn't know there's such a tradition. But, the celebs I also didn't follow me back except one.

[Suet Seung]

It's pointless, though, because who could keep up with millions of pieces of data anyway? Especially considering that 99.9% of them are useless/uninteresting.

Exactly, and the internet has enough creepy people, it would be safer and more interesting with people you actually know. Rather keep up with what people we know are doing instead of just letting some random millions of strangers prying into y our life.

[rosely]

People who request to follow me usually are people who have thousands of followers and following thousands of people. They also usually have a blog and product to promote/sell. So, I think it's just for advertising. So far, I've only approved one such request because I like what he wrote.


Oh. I didn't know there's such a tradition. But, the celebs I also didn't follow me back except one.

Haha, as I said, it's tradition and norm and polite to follow people back who is following you. But it's not enforce by Twitter.

It's pointless, though, because who could keep up with millions of pieces of data anyway? Especially considering that 99.9% of them are useless/uninteresting.

Man, did you even read what I posts or click the links about Twitter Trending LOL . I also never bother to check all those status of my followers. I just scan it if I login and reply if the posts is for me, from my friends or to re-tweet a posts if it's interesting.

Usually I only check the Twitter Trending website to know what are all the fuzz people are talking about and join the fun in tweeting.

Sometimes I tweeting just for fun to all those Internet meme that people are currently tweeting such as:

#ilikedyouuntil
#nowplaying
#musicmonday
#followfriday

Sometimes I also posts multiple tweets about a series/episode that I watch. I found many friends just by doing that as people also want to talk about the same things.

Anyway, no one enforce you to do anything if you don't want to, I'm just explaining how Twitter works.

[Lucre]

i dont understand twitter either, although on facebook i often get 'strangers' i didn't know who'd added me, and i wont approve them if i didnt at least know who they are. i once thought a 'stranger' added me and didnt approved it until i recently found out it was a chap from my company, but different department ~ which i recognised by sight, but didnt know his name.

[remember_Cedric]

Exactly, and the internet has enough creepy people, it would be safer and more interesting with people you actually know. Rather keep up with what people we know are doing instead of just letting some random millions of strangers prying into y our life.

Mostly, those buggers with an attention-seeking streak (if not a celebrity) who enjoy those complete strangers' company might love to show the world about their lives.

Call me Anti-social. I like it my way, and don't enjoy having complete strangers tailing behind me and wants to dig into my privacy. Why would I want to share with a complete stranger about me, when friends who survived with me for less than a decade don't even have a complete idea about my life.

[pemberly]

i'm guessing some of those people whom you don't know, who started following you, are from spcnet. spcnet is following you, so i'm assuming some forum members who are following spcnet probably clicked on the list of ppl she's following, saw your name, and added you since you are a well known memb.

[kidd]

Want to ask you guys. Do you accept all requests to follow you in Twitter?

[So Yen]

Last year, on rosely's advice, I signed up for Twitter, but never really used it. For one thing, I couldn't quite figure it out and, more importantly, it just failed to interest me.

Nonetheless, I've been getting a fairly regular series of notices that people are "following" me on Twitter. I don't know any of these people, and I assume they don't know me either. Why are they interested in "following" a stranger?

I think that a lot of these online stuff has to do with popularity or number games. Like Facebook and Myspace, people add their friends then friends of friends and then the friends of those friends. When I used to have a Myspace account, people would add me just because I went to the same high school or because we have a mutual friend. I don't have a twitter account so I don't know how it works, but I can only imagine it's almost the same as Myspace and Facebook with the status/mood.

As for those who were "following" you, did you accept them and find out why?