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Twitter Explains Their Selections for Default Suggested Users
There’s been a lot of chatter here and there about the "default users" list on Twitter. Twitter calls it a "suggested users" list but I call it default list because for any new person to Twitter, the natural choice is to accept the presented list. Early on, Robert Scoble wondered if Michael Arrington paid cash to get on the list.
Tonight co-founder Biz Stone took some time out from handling customer support issues to explain how they determine who is on the default list. See I didn’t think it was cash, I thought it was cupcake deliveries that guaranteed a default spot.
So here are the bullet points from his post followed by my commentary:
- we pick who we want like a bookstore picks their top selections
- they have a "chief scientist" who looks at some factors
- the twitter execs then take a look at the list and determine who is in
- If you a friend of Twitter, founder or investor, you 93.4% on the list
defaultsuggested users makes twitter more relevant!
From looking at the full list (Biz notes only 20 accounts are randomly listed but I see a much bigger list), here are my takeaways:
- blogs that continuously cover twitter are listed – even if their twitter account is just a rss feed import (see techcrunch, mashable, alley insider, etc.)
- people who bring cupcakes are listed (see justine’s video below)
- if you are a celeb
The net result is that Twitter uses the suggested users account to help make sure new users think there’s big activity from people they may recognize and from users who help promote the service outside of Twitter. I guess the early adopters who helped build Twitter now realize their work was to get Twitter to this point – the big’uns got it from here. To some extent, it’s like a club poster advertising that jay-z or mariah are going to be in the club tonight.
The way the list is organized now is a smart move for Twitter. Makes Twitter seem very “in” when new users (especially the media) come on board.
I guess we know why Jason Calacanis isn’t on the list as of now – best he can offer is a Mahalo page for Twitter.
Naturally on the web there are 1,000 better ways to introduce people to a service like Twitter. Random isn’t really one of them but it does help with one thing – and I will share that one thing in a post later this week.
And, once again, don’t forget to bring them some cupcakes :)
This is, frankly, daft.
The folk that are signing up for Twitter nowadays are patently not early adopters, and are therefore unlikely to have even the *remotest* clue who these “famous” people are.
My first tweet was 4/12/2007, which was before all the hype. I don’t have any icons on my profile page.
I agree that it shouldn’t be viewed as a conversation tool. It’s a social networking or communication tool. Big difference. Also, Twitter should implement a way for people to find people with similar hobbies or interests when they join up (possibly with tagging or other functionality) rather than this same list of celebrities and whatnot for everyone.
Todd A.
I am with Rex, and Twitter is a “Connversation Tool”..not sure how anyone can see it as not.
I would rather there be interaction on Twitter than people using Twitter as a platform to ‘Hose Me Down’ with stuff that is nothing but an attempt to impress upon us how popular they want us to think they are. Getting ten’s of thousands of followers and then saying nothing and interacting with just a few is not impressing anyone…or it shouldn’t.
I don’t see Twittter as a chatroom but I do see it as a place to validate a person’s existence through conversation. I am sure I am not alone with saying that I am not interested in the millions of posts on Twitter place by people who’s only mission in life is to place yet another billboard of product advertisement on the already saturate information highway.
interesting point regarding the early adopters – they sure did leave them out – wonder why they (the early adopters) didn’t make any stink?
I hardly think early adopters are being left out in the cold! Ever notice that array of 36 icons on people’s profile pages? Of course you have, but you don’t look at them any more. Twitter once tried to sort them by most recent post, but that supposedly overwhelmed the server. So the order defaulted to date of joining Twitter.
New members see these little cartoons and follow. It’s a huge perquisite for early adopters. So much so, in fact, that I have taken to periodically unfollowing those in my array that I see in too many others’ arrays. It helps to make my page look a little different, and also I figure “what does someone with 30,000 followers need with the help?”
While I’m on that subject, are some people paying to have their name spelled out over 3 or 4 boxes in that array?
I made a bit of a stink but anyone who whines looks like a jerk.
Lame. I would demand homemade cupcakes.
I heard that! I am heading to the supermarket today – will make some great Twitter cupcakes
Interesting bunch of people – Veronica Belmont for example. Why? 280k followers with only barely ~3500 updates? Justine or iJustine, again – why? 301k followers with only ~6600 updates. So it’s definitely not gauged on how many updates you do, or even the quality of updates. Someone who is suppose to be the “internet” talks about cleaning her freakin’ apartment instead of sharing cool internet information. Lame.
So for example – Allen here, CN – @centernetworks – ~9400 followers, but also follows ~1900 of who follows him, AND — ~12400 updates!! More than iJustine / Veronica combined. TechCrunch – ~286k followers, following 634 – with ~7500 updates
Now here is the big difference – @centernetworks will engage you in CONVERSATION where as TechCrunch, Veronica, iJustine is basically for lack of a better term – a big WANK session.
So what is better to feature – some people that will actually use the conversational tool that twitter should be – or feature a bunch of WANK session pro’s to introduce the mainstream too?
Bottom Line – LAME list!
Rex
Rex,
I don’t think Twitter is a “conversation tool”… I think you’re thinking of a chat room, and IMHO too many people use Twitter as just that (and I wish they wouldn’t, personally).
Also, who cares if iJustine or whoever that is tweets about cleaning her apartment. The question is “What are you doing?” and not “What valuable information can you bestow on us?”
My two cents,
kopper
While I sort of agree, I also think that some times a quick tweet between two people is quicker than a chat room. But that’s me, and thanks for commenting back. Writing an angle on this now.
Rex
I still prefer homemade cupcakes.
i am going to come to your town as i make the move to silicon valley and bake you some fresh cupcakes
These could be paid suggestions!! Get a business model Twitter!
People advertise their twitter accounts all the time over top of my Gmail
So, lets get on the good side of twitter and talk about them a lot. http://twitter.tearn.com/ lists the top twitter users, brands, and celebrities. Let’s twitt, twitter, tweet, and blow our brains out to get on twitter’s recommendation list ;-)
So in other words suggest people as if it was the old media, that way guaranteeing users are passive, thus lowering overall engagement.