Comments on: How to Irritate and Annoy People in the Name of Blogging http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/ DEVISING A SYSTEM FOR REMEMBERING EVERYTHING Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:29:45 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: John Scalzi http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-126328 John Scalzi Sun, 18 Jan 2009 16:19:11 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-126328 This assumes that a) One can't use other avenues to follow people's twitter feeds (for example, one's RSS feed); b) One has an interest in being <i>seen</i> to be conversational and engaged at least as much as one has an interest in <i>being</i> conversational and engaged. I'm less concerned about the former, personally. This assumes that

a) One can’t use other avenues to follow people’s twitter feeds (for example, one’s RSS feed);

b) One has an interest in being seen to be conversational and engaged at least as much as one has an interest in being conversational and engaged. I’m less concerned about the former, personally.

]]> By: Jude Calvert-Toulmin http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-126318 Jude Calvert-Toulmin Sun, 18 Jan 2009 10:13:30 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-126318 Hi again John, I've got a question. I've just found you on Twitter and am now following you on all of my 4 Twitter accounts (one personal, one for my publishing company, the other two are daily feeds from chapters of my books.) OK, I was really surprised that you only follow one person and wanted to ask why this is? I was very impressed by a blog article by a guy called Scobleizer, entitled <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2008/03/23/the-secret-to-twitter/" rel="nofollow"> The Secret To Twitter</a> in which he expounds similar theories to yours about the misuse and misunderstanding of social networking. And yet the following is what he says about followers and following on Twitter. This is not a criticism of you at all John, I'm sure you have your own reasons for not following others on Twitter, but I'm intrigued at the seeming incongruity between your stance in this post and your following/follower balance on Twitter. Besides, the British entrepreneur, <a href="http://twitter.com/richardbranson" rel="nofollow">Richard Branson,</a><a> head honcho of the Virgin group, is someone whom I admire greatly, and he follows over six and a half thousand people. Including me! ;) Scobleizer's quote: 1. Getting followed just means you’re popular. Yes, that’s cool, but it hardly will make you interesting. Paris Hilton will have more Twitter members than I will, when she joins. 2. Getting followed a lot might mean you’re using it for a publishing system. If all you have is followers what makes that different from owning a newspaper, a radio station, a TV station, or, even, a Web site? Hint: nothing. 3. If you’re just trying to get followed you’re probably just needing attention or you might be Jason Calacanis. But what does following a lot of people say? 1. You’re trying to learn more. 2. You’re trying to meet more people. 3. You’re trying to be a better listener. 4. You’re communicating to the world that you’d like to be listened to (golden rule: treat people how you’d like to be treated). 5. You’re trying to find out about more stuff. More events. More stories. Now, who would you rather hang out with? A person who only talks and doesn’t listen? Or a person who listens to as many people as he can? I know I’d rather hang out with someone who listens to more people.</a> Hi again John, I’ve got a question. I’ve just found you on Twitter and am now following you on all of my 4 Twitter accounts (one personal, one for my publishing company, the other two are daily feeds from chapters of my books.)

OK, I was really surprised that you only follow one person and wanted to ask why this is? I was very impressed by a blog article by a guy called Scobleizer, entitled The Secret To Twitter in which he expounds similar theories to yours about the misuse and misunderstanding of social networking. And yet the following is what he says about followers and following on Twitter. This is not a criticism of you at all John, I’m sure you have your own reasons for not following others on Twitter, but I’m intrigued at the seeming incongruity between your stance in this post and your following/follower balance on Twitter. Besides, the British entrepreneur, Richard Branson, head honcho of the Virgin group, is someone whom I admire greatly, and he follows over six and a half thousand people. Including me! ;)

Scobleizer’s quote:

1. Getting followed just means you’re popular. Yes, that’s cool, but it hardly will make you interesting. Paris Hilton will have more Twitter members than I will, when she joins.
2. Getting followed a lot might mean you’re using it for a publishing system. If all you have is followers what makes that different from owning a newspaper, a radio station, a TV station, or, even, a Web site? Hint: nothing.
3. If you’re just trying to get followed you’re probably just needing attention or you might be Jason Calacanis.

But what does following a lot of people say?

1. You’re trying to learn more.
2. You’re trying to meet more people.
3. You’re trying to be a better listener.
4. You’re communicating to the world that you’d like to be listened to (golden rule: treat people how you’d like to be treated).
5. You’re trying to find out about more stuff. More events. More stories.

Now, who would you rather hang out with? A person who only talks and doesn’t listen? Or a person who listens to as many people as he can?

I know I’d rather hang out with someone who listens to more people.

]]> By: Jude Calvert-Toulmin http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-126317 Jude Calvert-Toulmin Sun, 18 Jan 2009 09:44:17 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-126317 I stumbled on this blog whilst googling for the blog of a writer friend in order to give her a link. What a fabulous, refreshing post. I have only just discovered Twitter and have been similarly vaguely depressed at the desperate marketing aspect of some of its members. Where is the *fun*? A great post that I will recommend to the writers at writeforyourlife.net, which is a small group of blogging writers in the UK who have a sense of humour about what they're doing and will appreciate your piece, John. Thanks! I stumbled on this blog whilst googling for the blog of a writer friend in order to give her a link. What a fabulous, refreshing post. I have only just discovered Twitter and have been similarly vaguely depressed at the desperate marketing aspect of some of its members. Where is the *fun*?

A great post that I will recommend to the writers at writeforyourlife.net, which is a small group of blogging writers in the UK who have a sense of humour about what they’re doing and will appreciate your piece, John. Thanks!

]]> By: piglet http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1323 piglet Thu, 08 Nov 2007 04:04:11 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1323 well call me flo and bite my lip. love this post, also here via leahpeah. thanks for bringing this up, it's been something i've been trying to articulate and understand more having only been a blogger for a little over two years. i started commenting here and it got too long, which i plan to write a post on my own blog about this post b/c it's just that engaging and interesting to me. and not b/c i'm trying to promote myself. i really prefer "attraction rather than promotion" in blog life and real life. thanks for feeding my brain. rock on. well call me flo and bite my lip. love this post, also here via leahpeah. thanks for bringing this up, it’s been something i’ve been trying to articulate and understand more having only been a blogger for a little over two years.

i started commenting here and it got too long, which i plan to write a post on my own blog about this post b/c it’s just that engaging and interesting to me.

and not b/c i’m trying to promote myself. i really prefer “attraction rather than promotion” in blog life and real life.

thanks for feeding my brain.

rock on.

]]> By: Aimee Greeblemonkey http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1322 Aimee Greeblemonkey Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:35:05 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1322 Came over from Leah Peah, and awesome post. I particularly loved this line: "When you comment on a blog, or offer someone a link, or socialize with them, it’s about what you can bring to the party, not what you can get out of it." Came over from Leah Peah, and awesome post. I particularly loved this line:

“When you comment on a blog, or offer someone a link, or socialize with them, it’s about what you can bring to the party, not what you can get out of it.”

]]> By: LOD http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1321 LOD Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:47:14 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1321 I clicked over to that piece, and I was happy to see that I hadn't heard of any of them. I clicked over to that piece, and I was happy to see that I hadn’t heard of any of them.

]]> By: Manny, whose LJ is friends-locked and deadly dull anyway http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1320 Manny, whose LJ is friends-locked and deadly dull anyway Wed, 24 Oct 2007 02:10:58 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1320 The whole idea of kissing up to people is foreign enough, but this sounds like kissing up to blogs. Things like blogfuckery make me wonder when I slipped through the barrier from my reality into this one. The whole idea of kissing up to people is foreign enough, but this sounds like kissing up to blogs. Things like blogfuckery make me wonder when I slipped through the barrier from my reality into this one.

]]> By: Darius K. http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1319 Darius K. Tue, 23 Oct 2007 15:46:16 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1319 Awesome article! It's like I say in my networking talks I give: good networkers are always trying to make *friends*. Real, lasting friends. Not connections, not contacts, but FRIENDS. A networker never *uses* anyone, because she concentrates on being someone's friend first and foremost, and then when the time comes you're friends doing favors for each other. Awesome article! It’s like I say in my networking talks I give: good networkers are always trying to make *friends*. Real, lasting friends. Not connections, not contacts, but FRIENDS. A networker never *uses* anyone, because she concentrates on being someone’s friend first and foremost, and then when the time comes you’re friends doing favors for each other.

]]> By: Shawn Powers http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1318 Shawn Powers Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:25:26 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1318 Hey, MWT: <a href="http://www.brainofshawn.com/2007/10/22/throbbing-zombie-pony/" rel="nofollow">Here's your throbbing pony</a>. Hey, MWT:
Here’s your throbbing pony.

]]> By: Ryuu http://whatever.scalzi.com/2007/10/18/how-to-irritate-and-annoy-people-in-the-name-of-blogging/#comment-1317 Ryuu Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:37:03 +0000 http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=55#comment-1317 John, I followed a link through Making Light. it's nice to see this sort of advice-- especially since it can be applied to so much of the rest of our lives. it's really hard sometimes to turn off the part of my brain that says "talk to people, make connections, they can help you professionally", because it's so much more fun to make connections because I want to have a human connection. (It also makes me very glad my blog is a personal diary-type thing. I don't WANT to promote it. :D) John, I followed a link through Making Light. it’s nice to see this sort of advice– especially since it can be applied to so much of the rest of our lives. it’s really hard sometimes to turn off the part of my brain that says “talk to people, make connections, they can help you professionally”, because it’s so much more fun to make connections because I want to have a human connection. (It also makes me very glad my blog is a personal diary-type thing. I don’t WANT to promote it. :D)

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