Automatic
I’m not completely convinced, but I don’t think I’m a fan of the ‘auto response’. You know the ones. We first noticed it with Myspace adding ‘friends’ as soon as they added you. I think, at the time, it was frowned upon but everyone did it, because after all, the more ‘friends’ you had the cooler you were, right? Now we see it everywhere. Facebook, Twitter, and every other social network that escapes my mind right now.
Here’s my thing. Is it really a ‘social network’ at that point? I mean with an auto response, it’s not really “social” anymore is it? Doesn’t that take the social right out of it? At that point, automatic adds start to feel more like a race to more ‘friends’ than paying attention to the social networking aspect. At least to me.
I’d love to know Seth Godin’s take on the automatic adding of ‘friends’, or Twitter followers. Is there a benefit somewhere that I am not seeing, aside from not really having to interact with people that taking the time to interact with you? Don’t get me wrong. I’ve struggled with the idea of convenience too, but have yet to jump on board.
Now I know a lot of you folks are using the automatic response for different things and I’m not saying you are wrong entirely. I’m just curious the reasoning on your end. Why do you use the automatic friend adder or any other automatic response system?
I was always an outsider looking in at the "fun" crowd. Until I found the SLOB's (at age 51) did I feel accepted. We have more in common than MM. Twitter gives me a little boost in my boring life! It doesn't matter if it's a well known name or one of the "gang". It's a way of communicating with a lot of people at once. I'd never heard of Twitter before 3 weeks ago. Now I have friends from Tx to Hi, In to Ga. It's great. I do not use the automatic adder. I like to be able to feel out that mystery person. It's not important the number of friends I have, but the quality of that friendship. The realness of it. I hate disappointment so I try to look for people who won't hurt me with words or looks. Can't handle that. I think this is too serious a subject-or maybe I just made it that way! You opened up a whole group of wonderful people just waiting to meet each other! Keep bringing on your game, Brody. Thanks.
I don't use any automatic anything for twitter, facebook, or my blog (if that is even possible.) Sadly, I am fairly illiterate when it comes to the uses of these things. I can't even change things on my blog without calling my friend who set it up to help me. I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to manage my own blog, and I really don't have the time to give it the attention it needs right now. I'm hoping over Christmas break I can get it done. I like to "check out" the people who I add as my friends. I have very few people I've added links to on my own blog. I probably should update that too. You're not even on there, and your blog is one that I check daily. Anyway, I am a people addict, meaning I need people, and meaningful relationship. Even if that looks like baylormum and pokin praying for me when I'm sick. I've never met them face-to-face, but it doesn't get more meaningful than praying for someone.
I think that answers your question??
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yeah, i think automatic add is kinda a scam.
Some folks consider autoresponders to be good marketing. They do work well in email marketing, for example.
However I totally agree with you that when it comes to social media, autoresponders completely miss the point. I wrote a post to that effect a couple weeks back that stimulated a lively discussion. One of the owners of an autoresponder service for Twitter said his service
"is about convenience and saving time. Nothing more and nothing less.
What difference does it make whether I welcome my followers via a hand-crafted message, or via an automated message?
The point is: I decided that I appreciate new followers enough to want to welcome them. It does not mean I want to or am going to automate all my interaction with them."
I don't agree with him, but I guess that explains their mindset. Sort of.
It's kind of like the automatic phone calls you get now from business' and they put you on hold until a live person can come to the phone!
I'll never have a need to auto-reply. Seriously, I don't put too much thought into how a person ads me to their friends list. So far the friends I have are people that I am friends with in "real" life. Twitter is the only place where I didn't know a single person.
Reminds me of http://www.ncludr.com …