Twitter "broadcasting" Jun17 '08
Twitter "broadcasting" is when someone follows you, then immediately unfollows you after you've returned followed them.
Since Twitter only sends an email notification when someone is following you, you have no way to know when someone unfollows you, unless you check manually.
"Broadcasting" is a method of getting a lot of people to follow you, while still keeping the number of people you follow to a manageable amount - close friends and people you know. This is evident for Twitter users who have an extremely off-balanced Following to Followers ratio.
For example, if someone has 500 followers, and is only following 82, they are probably "broadcasting."
Broadcasting is bad because it defeats the purpose of a social network. Instead of truthfully making a connection with someone, "broadcasters" only care about inflating their own content to as many eyes as possible.
Of course, there are legitimate reasons why someone could have such an off-balanced follower to following ratio. They could be an A-list blogger, or perhaps they simply can't keep up with all the followers.
On the other hand, they could also be a "bot," which is a Twitter account that has system-generated updates.
Thankfully, Twitter shows us the total number of Followers and Following for each Twitter user. This information helps us to make the decision of whether or not to follow that user.
Here are three example Twitter users (they shouldn't exist, but they may), and their Followers to Following ratio. Included is an explanation of what type of user they are, and whether it's wise to follow them.
| Twitter username (example) | Followers | Following | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| joetwitter | 344 | 305 | Legitimate user; safe to follow; you've just made a new connection! |
| mike_losting | 298 | 981 | Legitimate user; safe to follow; you've just made a new connection! |
| moneyrush | 67 | 1,089 | System bot; not worth the follow |
| mynameisbeth | 431 | 67 | Broadcaster; follow at your own discretion |
If you think you followed a broadcaster, you can easily check to see if they are still following you by using doesfollow.com.
Ideally, it would be great if Twitter could send an "unfollow email," which would alert users when someone unfollows you. This probably won't ever happen because it fosters a negative community vibe.
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Doesfollow.com is an awesome tool. Thanks for the heads up. ... Read more.