Fact: Twitter is growing fast……very fast!

Not only is Twitter growing, but the ecosystem of tools and services that are based on the popular micro-blogging service are springing up more rapidly that one can keep track of. Everything from tools that grade your Twitter usage like Twittergrader, to a group Tweeting service like Tweetworks, down to some new services that provide real time updates if you’ve been “unfollowed” by another Twitter user. Twitterless and Qwitter are the 2 services that can do this for you. This post isn’t about explaining the nuts-n-bolts details of how they work. For those details, go here and here. Instead I want to talk about the effect these tools are having on Twitter culture.

Twitter culture? Come on, you kidding me? Absolutely not. Twitter has culture. Lots of it. And the culture is being subtly influenced by these “unfollow” tools. It seems their usefulness doesn’t come without controversy. You see, in the old days on Twitter, it was easy to unfollow someone without any mental or emotional repercussions. It was a simple act, a single click that left no trace or sign to the individual that was unfollowed. Their ego remained intact, free from the unfollow sting that now accompanies a notification that is delivered PROMPTLY to you only moments after it has taken place.

I’ve noticed this conversation topic is being discussed more frequently on Twitter lately. And as you can see below, there are a number of varying opinions ranging from preferring never to know when someone unfollows you, to taking personal offense.

Why does someone unfollow in the first place? It can be any number of reasons. Some Twitter users stop following because of too much tweet noise, not enough relevant tweets, list paring (following too many, social media fatigue). Whatever the reason, it’s clear that this is a highly personal and subjective decison. What works for me may not work for you.

The real impact is on the receiving end. Why did someone stop following after that last tweet? Am I not providing value to him/her anymore? Did I offend them? The questions are infinite. And this is precisely why knowing is changing how some users behave. Sure, not everyone will be bothered by it. But some simple research suggests many ARE. Why not let it roll off your back and avoid taking it personally? Because it’s easier said than done. When taking to a someone face to face, no one likes the feelings that accompany signs someone is ignoring you, or doesn’t like what you have to say. This human behavior is weaving its way into our social interactions online, because the feedback loops provided by these tools that were once impossible to obtain, are now being provided, with ever more detail and immediacy.

I’ll be watching this trend closely as we continue to forge ahead in our digital relationships. Logically, I know I will never truly understand or know why someone stops following me, so I won’t take it personally. Then again, we’re all human and knowing the gory details makes the sting real. Go ahead, unfollow me, I don’t care….I think

What is your opinion on being unfollowed? Do you want to know? Do you care? Do you ask why? Please share.