What kind of Twitterer are you?
Here’s a bit of fun for a Friday. Here are 9 types of Twitter user that I reckon exist – you might be able to think of more. I’ve not included spammers and bots because, not existing, they won’t be reading this. So… which one are you?
The Conversationalist
You follow a couple dozen people who mostly follow you back. Most of your tweets start with @. Twitter is the new Facebook to you.
The Polymath
You follow a few thousand people. Twitter is just one big pool of potentially interesting stuff to you, and you’re followed largely by people who feel the same way. Most of your tweets start with RT. Twitter is the new Google Reader to you.
The Networker
You follow a few hundred people, most of whom work in your industry or you know professionally. You try to keep track of most of what they’re saying and your tweets are a mix of replies, retweets and remarks. Twitter is the new LinkedIn for you.
The Broadcaster
You follow half a dozen people who either work with you, or are actually you on another Twitter account. Most of your tweets come from Twitterfeed and end with three dots and a URL. The @ sign never appears in your Twitter stream. Twitter is the new blog for you. With comments disabled.
The Fan
You follow a couple dozen people, mostly DJs and TV personalities, who all ignore your @ messages. You found out about Twitter on the radio and although you talk to your friends about it, you don’t talk to your friends on it. Twitter is the new gossip magazine for you.
The Experimenter
You probably plugged your plant into Twitter or something. It sounded like a good idea at the time.
The Marketer
You follow a few thousand people but never read anything that they say. Your biography includes WORDS IN CAPITALS and reads like you vomited up a pile of business cards. A few hundred people have followed you back by mistake. To you, Twitter is the new email newsletter.
The Misanthrope
Your updates are protected. You never let anyone see your updates. Actually, you never post any updates but no one knows that. Your Twitter account exists purely to annoy people – to you, it’s the new ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.
The Dabbler
You heard about Twitter on TV, signed up to the site, posted one tweet and wondered why nothing happened. You’ve since forgotten all about it but in 9 months time one of your friends will start following you and it will all make sense. Twitter is the new Friends Reunited to you.
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
Maritza van den Heuvel
I think you’re missing a type. When I couldn’t quite fit myself into one of the types (except maybe {budding} Networker), I took a good look at my Twitter behaviour. I think I’d call myself a Cherry-picker. I follow a select few people from a variety of fields that interest me, mainly to pick up on new ideas, tips on subjects I’m interested in and pretty any much anything that satisfies my thirst for continuing to grow my knowledge and understanding of my core industry (software development) and related fields. I don’t see it as a socialising tool, not even quite a networking tool, but more an information aggregator using human brain power, instead of relying on web spiders.
Aug 28th, 2009
Journa Liz S. Ramirez
This is something new “…kind of twitterer” This twitter thing is really making huge noise with “onliners” and not to mention creating new and fun words (found at the top right side of twitter)
But going back to what kind of twitter I am, I say: “The what-do-I-get-from-here.” As a new twitter user, I am looking for some good reasons, maybe some good-of-a-deal benefits (aside from getting “following” and getting “followed”) why I should patronize it. It eats a lot of time, that’s one, and I think my facebook and friendster accounts are enough to serve the purpose of getting in touch with my friends, here and abroad.
Aug 31st, 2009
paulbradshaw
@Maritza – so kinda like a Polymath but following fewer people?
Sep 1st, 2009
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