Using auto direct messages (DM) on Twitter is a bad idea.

It was a bad idea when I first joined Twitter in June 2008 – a time when there were fewer than 500,000 Tweeple in the Twitterverse. And it’s a worse idea now…particularly with 75 million users on Twitter. Why?

1. Auto DMs are spam – unsolicited and unwelcome mail. To top it off, many Twitter users also get email notifications about their DMs, so it’s actually more like a one-two spam punch – in the face. Why would anyone choose to welcome people to their “community” this way?

Welcome to <Twitter Name Here> on Twitter. We hope you enjoy experiencing learning with us.

Thank you for following the writers of <New Pub Name Here>. We are hoping that our expertise will enlighten you and make you healthy.

We produce #environmental awareness posters, decals, much more, helping companies promote #sustainability & #recycling. Please pass us along

Hi there! I’m new to Twitter so I hope you enjoy my tweets. I love solar electricity and if you want to learn about it, I’ll show it to you

Well, you might be thinking, these sound like friendly, well-intended welcome messages. Yes, they are. But they are also disruptive communications as described in the definition of spam (below). They are disruptive because they are unsolicited and may very well be irrelevant to the recipient. Auto DMs are disruptive because they constitute noise that dilutes the signal for relevant information I want to receive and the conversations I choose to participate in.

Spam: A disruptive, esp. commercial message posted on a computer network or sent as e-mail

And, yes, the worst auto DM spam is the kind that is used for advertising:

Hi, thx for following? Are you up to date with social media? <Link Here to a Book on Amazon>

Thx for connecting. Are you attending <Name of Event Here> next week? <Link to Event Here> Discount code information here.

{In the case above I was already registered, which made the spam even more annoying.}

Just because I follow you back on Twitter does not mean that I am giving you permission to market to me. A follow back on Twitter does not constitute an “opt-in” subscription to anything you perceive is valuable to your community.

2. Auto DMs are sometimes viruses – and they appear to come from people you follow. So even if you are using auto-DMs to sell a book or a workshop, how effective do you think it will be in the DM-shy world we inhabit today? Today it is rare that I will click on a URL in a DM…unless I am “expecting” specific information from a fellow Twitter user.

3. Auto DMs are for robots, not humans. Social media is about human and personal interaction. If you don’t care enough to take the time to personally “welcome” someone on Twitter, then you shouldn’t do it at all.

In my opinion, Twitter DM should be a sacred channel. It should be used conscientiously and for those moments when you:

• Must get through to someone quickly;
• Have information to share with someone that is not relevant for the entire community; or
• Have to take a Twitter conversation offline.

With almost 8 million users on Twitter it has become rather noisy – not just from the auto-DM spam, but also from the grumblings of the unhappy Tweeple – like myself – who are on the receiving end of that spam.

So, if you are looking for a way to be unfollowed before your first conversation on Twitter begins or to lose loyal followers, then try using auto DMs.

Granted, there are some people may choose to unfollow auto DMers and others who may unhappily tolerate it – which is mostly the case for me in the small city where I live. But even if you are not getting unfollowed as the result of your auto DMs, how do you know it is not just because people are being polite and tolerating you?

At the end of the day, I would rather have people happily following me rather than unhappily tolerating me.

How about you?

Chart source: RJ Metrics

Over the weekend, while some gathered for family dinners or hunted for Easter eggs, and others enjoyed a day in the park, I got caught up in listening to the online buzz about Amazon and the global reaction to its new policies.

I watched as anger and dissent – like mutating airborne bacteria – rapidly diffused throughout the Social Web, from network to network and person to person…all while the giant – Amazon – slept. By the time the global bookseller got wind of the situation, Plan A – which could have been “containment,” the chance to proactively manage the situation, was no longer an option. It was time for the big bookseller to declare a public relations state of emergency and go straight to Plan B: global communication and response.

So what did Amazon do? They emailed a comment:

“There was a glitch with our sales rank feature that is in the process of being fixed. We’re working to correct the problem as quickly as possible.”

Amazon’s reply was like pouring lighter fluid on a fire.

As of this writing, the company’s blog still has not been updated and the tweets continue to pour into the stream with #AmazonFail holding its own as a top Twitter trend. There’s talk in the Twittersphere that says Amazon will “speak” tomorrow – the start of what will prove to be a very long week of defensive maneuvering.

In the end, this all could have been avoided. And there’s no excuse for it anymore. Twitter has proven itself – time and again – as a viable and valuable communications channel…in times of disaster, giving, protest, and celebration.

Twitter – like any communication tool on the Social Web – doesn’t take a holiday. It doesn’t sleep. And it doesn’t take weekends off.

And neither should you…if you care about your reputation.

RELEVANT READING:

• Amazon sees censorship decisions magnified through the social web magnifying glass (12 April 2009)
• Open Letter to Amazon Regarding Recent Policy Changes (12 April 2009)
• Amazonfail  (13 April 2009)
• Blogs and Twitter Coin “Amazon Fail” (13 April 2009)
• How to Build a Reputation Monitoring Dashboard (March 2009)

Dear fellow Tweeters: Here’s a list of Twitter Don’ts. If you find you can’t help yourself, or if you actually prefer to keep these on your Do list, please at least do your followers a favor by adhering to “moderation in all things.”

Yes, I know the ego is tough to keep in check; so just consider this a helpful “check” list:

1. Don’t use Twitter as a replacement for Google
“Does anyone know what time Lost starts?”

2. Don’t constantly ask people to digg, stumble and vote
“Please, I hardly ever ask…can you digg this article?”

3. Don’t feel compelled to report on the number of followers you have (yes, we know where to find the number if we are curious)
“In honor, of my 1700th follower, I am going to kiss my Chia Pet.”

4. Don’t abuse the requests to retweet (unless it’s an emergency like an Amber Alert)
8 am: “Please retweet…” 11 am: “Please retweet…”  1 pm: “Please retweet…”

5. Don’t take an Unfollow personally and don’t report on your Unfollows
Why do you think anyone cares?

6. Don’t threaten to Unfollow your followers if they don’t start answering your questions and engaging with you as often as you want
Now that’s what I call “social.”

7. Don’t just follow people who share your exact interests and beliefs. Mix it up a bit. Follow people you disagree with
You may learn something new or gain a new perspective (or, at a minimum, become tolerant – now THAT’S what I call “social!”)

8. Don’t report your Twitter rankings
Again, who cares? Actually, some people might (like people who aren’t on Twitter – heh)…I don’t.

9. Don’t abuse Twitter as a primary tool to promote your events and products
As a marketer, I can tell when this happens. For those with a following, it is called “lazy marketing.” For those without a following, it’s called “stupid marketing.”

10. Don’t announce who you’re unfollowing
One more time: Who cares?

11. Don’t tweet your rules for following and unfollowing (if you must have these rules, maybe you can put a link to them in your bio?)
This takes away from the spontaneity and beauty of that whole “social” thing.

12. Don’t announce your Twitter Update milestones
“For my 10,000th update on Twitter, I wanted to hang a Disco Ball – but this is actually the 10,000th update. Does it still count? Maybe I’ll do something for the 11,000th update then.”

Anyone care to make this list a “baker’s dozen?” What are your thoughts?

UPDATES for 9 March 2009: 

• Don’t live-blog (on Twitter) about ongoing secret negotiations
• A Completely Unscientific (Yet Accurate) Look at Social Sites [this is good fun!]
• Are You a Twitter ReTweet Thief?
• Twitter Throttle [Tweak tweet flow from certain Tweeps using this handy Script]  

Photo Credit: FranUlloa (via everystockphoto.com)

This is a true story. It’s one of many that occurs every minute – by the hundreds, if not thousands – on the Internet Social Web.

Today I answered some questions posed by users on LinkedIn. Answering questions is a great way to network, grow your business, and establish yourself as a thought leader and credible resource in the industry. Or you can simply answer questions to be nice…and to give back to the Social Web, which gives so much to us 24/7, for free, and asks for nothing in return. My motivation at the time was the latter. Here’s a question that I answered (click on image to read it):
  

While I was answering the question, I switched over to Twitter to say:

Shortly thereafter, I was tweeted this reply:

Then I said:  

So my final response to the question looked like this (click image to read):

You just witnessed how a quality lead was produced in 10 minutes – for free.

Another bonus: You also make new friends along the way. I was lucky to be meet Alec J. Rosen a colorful Tweeter who is also the CEO of a leading PR and marketing agency in Florida. So I also expanded my own network, which will in turn enhance the quality of my Twitter experience.

See what I mean? It just keeps going – like the concept of Pay it Forward, only the echoes and ripples affect all parties whether they’re giving or receiving. However, the more people share, the more powerful the Social Web becomes. So always be sure to share, too.

It’s been about 6 months since I joined Twitter. For a multitude of reasons, I’ve valued every minute of it. To give you a taste of My Twitter, I am sharing a list of my favorite “tweets” - most of which are the flavor of “fun.”  This post was inspired in part by a Tweetversation with Rodney Rumford on 17 December 2008, the day I gave him a Yellow Star (the icon for a Favorite Tweet).

My Favorite Tweets

	Rumford if a twitter nudge is like a facebook poke, then i want a bitch slap function on twitter. 33 minutes ago from web
	craignewmark Back home in SF, all observed ice is in glasses, as God intended. 3:44 PM Dec 10th from iTweet
	kwbridge Should I feel honored or creeped out if someone is following 2 people – me and CNN – LOL 12:51 PM Dec 9th from TweetDeck
	meangrape Note to self: do not use that brand of wife’s conditioner on my beard again — instant floral perfume is not what I’m going for. 11:28 PM Dec 7th from mobile web
	lizstrauss People forget what you said. They get foggy about what you did. But they remember how you made them feel. 9:01 PM Dec 7th from TweetDeck
	howardlindzon Caveman prehistoric sounds from mens room at newark. I just ran out. 1:35 PM Dec 7th from txt
	jowyang Weve created a new term for people who tweet at parties: anti social social or ASS #time4wine 9:08 PM Dec 6th from txt
	MarketingProfs Really happy that my 11 y o tried out for her middle school’s play. It’s an awesome thing to watch your kids face their fears… and win. 2:29 PM Nov 20th from web
	howardlindzon This market looks like a toilet in Tijuana at the end of a night 12:42 PM Nov 20th from TweetDeck
	howardlindzon Just blamed the market problems on financial terrorists. 20 9 year olds crying. My work is done here. 8:47 AM Nov 20th from txt
	howardlindzon I just told a class of 9 year olds that Paulson is a jackass asshat. They love me $$ 8:34 AM Nov 20th from txt
	Armano The truth about “social media” is that it’s powered by human beings, and so instantly flawed. Which is why it’s both wonderful and terrible 8:06 AM Nov 20th from TweetDeck
	Armano social media is nirvana when we like it and a mob when we don’t 8:01 AM Nov 20th from TweetDeck
	howardlindzon Max, rachel and I are at Dairy Queen doing all we can to bailout warren buffett. 5:49 PM Nov 19th from txt
	jowyang Nearly everything gets monetized, I noticed this from my youth passing the coffer down the pew at church. 4:07 PM Nov 19th from web
	JonBurg btw – best analogy I’ve heard today – Twitter is the Digital Water Cooler. 3:09 PM Nov 19th from web
	MackCollier Social media success will never be based on attempting to monetize personal interactions. $$$ comes as byproduct of interactions not from 12:15 PM Nov 19th from TweetDeck
	guykawasaki @TechCrunch How can you tell me what is more important to me? If I had to pick between Twitter and cell phone, I would pick Twitter. 9:12 AM Nov 19th from TweetDeck in reply to TechCrunch
	chrisbrogan Wow… lots of speakers “throat clearing” here. It’s like writing a 260 page preface to a 270 page book. 7:41 AM Nov 19th from TweetDeck
	pearsonified F**k, I need a ride 2 miles away, but that’s like asking someone to cut off an arm in Hollywood 1:25 PM Nov 18th from web

	kevinokeefe Sitting back and looking at TweetDeck and the info exchanged by lawyers and the comradery among you is flat out amazing. 9:15 PM Nov 17th from TweetDeck
	briansolis Please stop feeding the very thing that unravels the essence of the Twitter community by measuring and publicizing your place within it. 8:59 PM Nov 14th from web
	pattyinboothbay Heading to the tub to read my Kindle in a zip loc bag. 8:11 PM Nov 10th from web
	cspenn “There are four boxes to be used in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury and ammo. Please use in that order.” -Ed Howdershelt 12:24 PM Nov 3rd from TweetDeck
	kamichat Chris Baggott adds that money used to be the only driver on who succeeded in a market, now passion and expertise also count #solutionsstars 10:26 AM Oct 29th from web
	worleygirl Unintentionally, but Paco showed great analogy for how companies should approach customers in soc media. Hip to hip vs. face to face. #fcf08 10:24 AM Oct 29th from TweetDeck
	kamichat According to Tony Hsieh,@zappos went from no sales to $1B in gross sales for 2008, the number one driver for this is repeat sales and WOM 10:18 AM Oct 29th from web
	bethevans Latest China food crisis rumors are that meat, seafood, eggs and dairy are all unsafe. So basically the whole country should become vegan. 2:19 AM Oct 29th from web
	Scobleizer More followers? What does that prove? I judge myself by who I follow. 8:00 PM Oct 28th from web
	jspepper Biggest problem in PR and social media: the belief it’s cookie cutter. Very little original thought or understanding of tactics/strategy. 7:46 PM Oct 27th from twhirl
	giovanni Now that oil is less than $65 a barrel, WHY am I still paying an additional $15 to check a bag? 6:18 PM Oct 27th from Ping.fm
	kdpaine Just gave the waitress my room number in Wichita and realize i have no clue what my room number is here in Detroit. def of road warrior 7:57 AM Oct 26th from mobile web
	kdpaine @kamichat which is why we monitor conversations, but we measure relationships! 4:15 PM Oct 24th from web in reply to kamichat
	howardowens Maybe now we can have a serious discussion in this country about what to do rather than hastily follow Bush off another cliff? 4:32 AM Sep 30th from web
	jowyang I know one brand who want to blog as they saw their competitors do it. I asked “whats your goal” they said “thought leadership” #paradox 6:33 PM Sep 28th from web
	jowyang It’s entertaining how the tourists in SF always ask ME for directions to China town. 8:48 PM Sep 27th from web
	prprof_mv under-eye wrinkles. My face is beginning to look lived-in. I actually like that. 8:25 AM Sep 27th from TweetDeck
	dcarli Social Visualization & Re-Cognition: Using social media visualization tools to develop a new and better shared understanding of an issue. 7:24 AM Sep 27th from web
	howardowens Caller id: Unrecognized phone number; caller ID says “RAINMAKER” … let that one go to voice mail. 7:46 AM Sep 26th from web
	chrisbrogan Oh my belly. It appears that I liked the Mexican lunch more than it loved me. 7:14 AM Sep 25th from twitterrific

	MarketerBlog Kahlow: B2B marketing & social media – SM is price of doing business, keep it simple, helps foster long-term relationships. #et08 12:23 PM Sep 24th from web
	dcarli The key to economic recovery is to make markets transparent & the businesses in them energy efficient, energy independent & carbon neutral. 7:38 AM Sep 20th from web
	dcarli At the end of the day the economy is all about and ultimately runs on energy. Follow the Energy. 7:32 AM Sep 20th from web
	skydiver New HARO rule: if you email me and ask “what’s the website for helpareporter.com?” you don’t get added on principle. 1:19 PM Sep 16th from TwitterBerry
	dcarli I really like the idea of government back energy conservation bonds! Anyone else! Amory Lovins would call them “Negawatt Bonds” 11:42 AM Sep 16th from web
	jowyang I just slipped up, (I’m so tired) “how do you keep track of all the Virgins of your Software?” (I meant versions) 1:30 PM Sep 12th from web
	TDefren “I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.” – Harry Truman 7:30 AM Sep 11th from TwitKit
	howardowens I want my leaders to have done something. Having spent a career in politics is to have done nothing. 5:41 PM Sep 5th from web
	jowyang Oh dear, imagine if an alien found @kevinrose and @scobleizer’s DNA and created a hybrid. It would be a beer drinking tweeting machine 6:50 AM Sep 5th from web
	joshdmorg play like you’re in first, train like you’re in second. I think this is the strategy the Reps are using. 12:29 AM Sep 5th from web
	chrisbrogan The difference between persuasion and influence is the same as blasting holes through mountains vs going around 10:29 PM Sep 4th from txt
	jljohansen @jyarmis @swhitley Now I have a sarcastic post stuck in my head titled: “Social Media Uncovers New Revenue Stream for Business – Customers!” 1:51 PM Sep 4th from twhirl in reply to jyarmis
	chrisbrogan 1 evening showing of Peter Pan, 2 bottles of art supply glitter found, 2 sleeping-in-late parents= pixie dust everywhere 6:41 AM Aug 30th from txt
	whatsnext jeez, i wonder what they do in rehab for sex addiction? http://tinyurl.com/5r922y 9:56 AM Aug 29th from web
	TDefren “There are only two ways of telling the complete truth–anonymously and posthumously.” – Thomas Sowell 7:01 AM Aug 27th from TwitKit
	jowyang I visited a social networking company here’s how the receptionist titled me http://tinyurl.com/686aoo 11:00 AM Aug 26th from web
	whatsnext debt elimination is the new penis enlargement in spam mails. 3:25 PM Aug 18th from web
	TobyDiva lazy, sunny sunday drinking coffee reading the nyt – ink on my fingers. rather like that. 8:42 AM Aug 17th from web
	TDefren Best part about visiting the dentist is walking out, knowing you won’t be back for at least 6 months. 7:05 AM Aug 6th from web
	ConversationAge @uncommon_sense one story- in winter, when getting into local stores, her eyeglasses would fog up she’d smile and say, one sec as I find you 11:36 AM Aug 5th from web in reply to uncommon_sense

	jowyang With an ER doctor friend hes seen beans above the frank, yuck 12:25 AM Aug 3rd from txt
	howardowens IM’ing with my wife sitting on the other side of the room. 10:56 AM Aug 2nd from web
	jowyang Overheard during vendor briefing: “Opinions are like *ssholes, everyone has one and they all stink” I lol’d 1:12 PM Jul 30th from web
	MarketerBlog Was Twitter down a lot in November? There are a lot of social media types having babies recently 10:03 AM Jul 23rd from Netvibes
	jowyang Is it bad that I notice that email resolves itself if you ignore it? 5:44 PM Jul 18th from web
	briansolis The Social Revolution is Our Industrial Revolution, http://tinyurl.com/5eunaw 8:34 AM Jul 14th from web
	ConversationAge If you encounter a lot of opposition you’re onto to something… gotta remember that 5:57 AM Jul 9th from web
	bethevans learned the hard way that electricity in China is prepaid. 7:30 PM Jul 3rd from web
	TDefren If you’re getting kicked in the butt, at least it means you’re in the front. http://tinyurl.com/5u53d4 5:48 AM Jul 3rd from TweetBar
	ConversationAge Twittervana is when the people adding you equal the people leaving or fleeing your stream 5:55 PM Jun 30th from web
	briansolis The Conversation Chasm – the division between the desire to comment and the time and effort actually required to do so. 8:42 AM Jun 24th from web
	TDefren How often do you find yourself writing something clever in an email to someone … and then deciding to “blog it instead?” 6:54 AM Jun 24th from web
	TDefren The future of Public Relations will be anchored in the simple goal of humanizing the organization. 6:42 AM Jun 24th from web
	bethevans Poll: is it too shameless of a pun to name my blog Beijing Duck? 3:45 AM Jun 17th from web (relevance note: Beth is a University of Oregon graduate)
	toniasarah Chocolate melted on your pants doesn’t translate to “chocolate melted on your pants” 4:34 PM May 13th from txt

And, last but not least: My favorite Direct Message response (which came in after I commented about the reasons people “Unfollow” you on Twitter)…

 Me: all I can say is: don’t ever mention the Dixie chicks!

mark_hayward I am laughing because that is probably the last thing I would ever mention! Did you have Dixie fallout? 6:36 PM Oct 13th

If you’re currently on Twitter, feel free to leave your handle/address here in the comments. For those of you who are not (yet) on Twitter, please feel free to join us! 

See you on the Tweetside,
Jaculynn 
http://twitter.com/diablogue_chat

: : : : : : : : : : :

Twistori is like having a virtual finger on the emotional pulse of the Twitter community.

Love. Hate. Think. Believe. Feel. Wish.

After scanning tweets for emotive keywords, Twistori then publishes the related posts anonymously and randomly on a visually yummy scrolling billboard. The result? According to ReadWriteWeb’s elegant take: “Be cautioned: Watching the feelings of anonymous Twitter users scroll by can be strangely addictive.”

Have a peep, folks. It’s a free show.

Thanks to Twistori Co-Creators Amy Hoy and Thomas Fuchs for producing this sweet labor of love. 

i wish already that i knew more about twistori, phase 2…