Doug Haslam - Likes - FriendFeed

Hoping the bats come alive tonite. Need a lot of runs. - Kyle

ya think? i think beckett'll keep it close - Jim Storer

Not sold on Beckett right now, thinking he gives up 4-5 runs. Hope I'm wrong. - Kyle

Nice first inning, that is important! - Kyle

we need to get the bats going early tonight... the longer this game is 0-0 the harder it's going to be for the Red Sox. Get the fans sitting on their hands early. - Jim Storer

Nice hustle by Pedroia, as usual. I'm geared up tonight. Think it'll be a good one. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Great point Jim, you want to get an early lead AND get to their bullpen, if that happens this game is over. The top of our order is reminding me of the Mo Vaughn playoff years right now though ;) - Kyle

I'd love to see Bay turn on one right here... oh well. - Jim Storer

Let's hope the umps are also on their game tonight. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Is it cold in LA right now? Beckett's wearing the long sleeves. - Jim Storer

OK, only 2 innings, but Jim you were dead right, Beckett looks really good. Keeping everything down so far and velocity is impressive so far. - Kyle

Nice punch-out! - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Agreed Carissa, like to see that, even if it looked a bit inside. - Kyle

Beckett is looking good. If only Nathan looked that good for the Twins. - Jason Kelly

off topic: wow - yankees just got doubled up in the bottom of the tenth. going to the 11th. - Jim Storer

Hope the Twins find a way to win that one...but love that the headline on MLB.com is "Clutch A-Rod"...and when I say love, I mean hate. - Kyle

perfect - he can go clutch a rod as far as i'm concerned... - Jim Storer

wait, was that in my out loud voice? - Jim Storer

Yes, and now it's on Google forever....FOREVER! ;) - Kyle

Might have to peek at Yanks/Twins game. Sounds like a doozie. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

LOL. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

it's getting to the point where it could go on for a while..#yankees game - Jim Storer

Imagine a world where there is a Colorado vs. Minnesota World Series. What do you think Bud Selig would do? - Kyle

Declare an immediate tie. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

You guys care if I invite my friend Joe from WBZ into this thread? - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Bud Selig would probably get the Nobel Peace Prize ;) - Dean Kakridas from iPhone

Jumping back and forth - bases loaded and no outs in the top of the 11th - #yankees - Jim Storer

@carissa is he a red sox fan? - Jim Storer

we need martinez and beckett to get on the same page. - Jim Storer

YEa, that is going to cause some big errors soon if they don't get with it. - Jason Kelly

Although Martinez and Beckett on the wrong page is still better than Varitek batting 9th. - Kyle

Yeah, he's a sports producer. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@kyle - let's hope so. that wasn't necessarily the case last night. - Jim Storer

@carissa - of course! i wasn't being serious. :-) - Jim Storer

ladies and gentlemen... i believe @peplau is in the house! - Jim Storer

Well, you're so SERIOUS all the time, it's hard to tell. ;-) - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Prediction: Sox score 2 runs this inning. Write it down! - Kyle

Yankees just walked off. Twins now staring over the edge of the abyss. - Derek Peplau

The Elf starts it off! - Kyle

Yeah, baby. Now we're talkin! - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

nice hit! two years ago Hunter makes that catch, but he's getting old. - Jim Storer

Ellsbury hits for the cycle. Write it down! - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

WHAT was Dustin swinging at? - Jason Kelly

I think Pedroia hit that one AFTER it bounced - Jim Storer

There's 1! Nice! - Jason Kelly

@Jim Thanks for the invite, Jim! - Derek Peplau

Awesome. Would like to think Tek would've done it too, but... - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

That was a MUCH better swing than another catcher would've put on the ball! - Jim Storer

Halfway to my prediction... - Kyle

Is this the same Weaver that used to have a world class mullet? - Jim Storer

@Jim Yep. - Derek Peplau

https://baseballprospectus.com/card... - Jim Storer

Come on Papi, that wasn't even close. Put a little effort into it. - Jason Kelly

Give me fair warning before you direct me to any scary photographs, please. Thank you. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Crap - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Oooof Papi. - Kyle

Yo .... thanks for the invite, Jim. I sprinted to grab my computer. - Bryan Person

Just posted a photo in separate thread that will fire y'all up. - Bryan Person

OK, now I'm online. Don't like Jered Weaver's new haircut. Makes him look almost like a boy - Doug Haslam

Mikey LOL! GREAT catch! - Jason Kelly

Holy crap, Lowell. You rock my world. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

I think Mike Lowell broke his hip on that play - Doug Haslam

Lowell can still make plays - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

that's why they call it the "hot corner"... nice grab! - Jim Storer

Having played the hot corner myself (varsity softball is SO comparable to the MLB), I have much respect. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

great call on the ff room. - Adam Cohen

Well, that stab just saved a run. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

OK, we need a clean double play right about now. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Heard that it might be 20 degrees in Denver for tomorrow's game. Ouch - Doug Haslam

Well at least he caught it and it wasn't worse. - Jason Kelly

Loudest cheeer ever for a SAC fly. These people have seen baseball before, yes? - Doug Haslam

A-Gon just made that play look easy. Love his glove. - Bryan Person

I'd really like Beckett to start the next inning by firing a ball over Martinez and the ump, cracking Boras right between the eyes. - Jim Storer

Gonzalez = best SS I have ever seen - Doug Haslam

oops... out loud voice again. :-) - Jim Storer

really appreciating life sans Lugo right now - Adam Cohen

I'm getting sick of this guacamole commercial already but it beats seeing that gotomeeting ad again - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

Trying not to get anxious, but Red Sox just *can't* wait until games get back to Fenway to start hitting. Need a big inning. - Bryan Person

@bryan - i think they'll get the bats going tonight - Jim Storer

Bay needed an extra scoop of Wheeties this morning. - Jason Kelly

@Jason Maypo, even - Doug Haslam

whoa - that guy had a great Whalers shirt on!! - Jim Storer

Think the Sox bats are as anxious as we are. They're letting him get away w/a pretty low pitch count. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

More importantly, it has been proved that Damon and Affleck are related. Thank god. http://www.boston.com/news... - Kyle

Did we ever get an explanation as to why Papi is hitting ahead of Bay? Hadn't been that way in regular season, right? Guessing Tito likes alternating lefty-righy. - Bryan Person

@Kyle But that means now they can't--- never mind - Doug Haslam

@Doug, it's Massachusetts...you can be what ever you want! - Kyle

Weaver pitch count 72- not high but not super-low either with an out to go in 5th - Doug Haslam

@Doug: Missing the commentary from "Plain Wayne" tonight? - Bryan Person

@Kyle-- it's more the cousins bit-- that's more of a New Hampshire thing - Doug Haslam

I'll have to supply my own #asimplecanoe moments. I've done it before - Doug Haslam

That was re: plain Wayne - Doug Haslam

@doug, great point. Live Free or Die. - Kyle

Looks like weaver is starting to get wild - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

Weaver doesn't look comfie in the stretch. - Jim Storer

@DougH: Trying to explain Wayne to my wife, but hard to capture his essence. - Bryan Person

@kyle or, when it comes to Motorcycle helmet libertarianism, Live Free AND Die - Doug Haslam

@Bryan-- I didn;t even try-- I'm still too tired for coherence anyway - Doug Haslam

Amazing that Gonzalez finished something like .285 with Red Sox in the 6 weeks or so he was with Boston. - Bryan Person

@doug, fortunately we don't have helmet laws in the great republic either. good times. - Kyle

Was just going to say nice to see gonzalez being patient - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

@bryan, thinking baseball and brunch for the 11am start on Sunday ;) - Kyle

@Jon Never mind, right? Glad you didn;t jinx it - Doug Haslam

@Kyle: I like it. Kicking myself we haven't got the 2nd car yet. Trying to figure out logistics. - Bryan Person

Captain Morgan Ads bring teh suck - Doug Haslam

@Kyle: Let's make sure we discuss tomorrow. - Bryan Person

Hey you two, get a room - Doug Haslam

Like having my #redsox chat in FF, won't lose 25% of my followers like last October - Kyle

@Kyle: I've seen some interesting motorcycle drivers--sans helmets--here in the Republic. - Bryan Person

@kyle no kidding-- @paisano still blocks me - Doug Haslam

@Kyle: Agreed. The thing is, I don't know about 99% of the Red Sox tweeters this year. Not nearly as much fun. - Bryan Person

i'm with doug - you guys need your own room. starting another thread for you now. - Jim Storer

@bryan I'm thinking Plain Wayne had a few helmetless moments he might regret #asimplecanoe - Doug Haslam

@DougH: But @Paisano is a Yankee dude, right? - Bryan Person

I wish FF allowed you to have tiered conversations so I can bucket my motorcycle helmet talk. - Kyle

@Bryan Yes, but the blocking was a bit harsh-- we were Utterli buddies, so it's not like he thinks I'm a jerk (most of the time) - Doug Haslam

@DougH: Interesting that Wayne was from Canada, DEtroit, and Atlanta. #ASimpleCanoe - Bryan Person

@kyle Just start another thread.... like the Bryan & Kevin Snugglefest Thread I started. - Jim Storer

@kyle will FF get plug pulled anyway and get absorbed by FaceBorg? - Doug Haslam

@doug @jim I did enough today pledging my help to Twitter, I can't do everything for struggling social networks. - Kyle

OK, is this one of you guys? http://twitter.com/cbbucknor - Doug Haslam

@DougH: Not me--and probably not one of us. If it had been, you would have seen @references to us. - Bryan Person

@doug, saw that last night, classic. Wonder why @tedshead hasn't made a playoff appearance. - Kyle

Brilliant. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Bryan Very true. The quality of the #redsox stream plummeted between last October & this April. - Derek Peplau

@Doug: Did you hear that @CBBucknor's Wikipedia page was "vandalized" and locked down? - Bryan Person

I think @tedshead is keeping alow profile after the recent news stories - Doug Haslam

@Bryan-- I know-- that was awesome. (re: Bucknor's Wikipedia page) - Doug Haslam

@Kyle: Be ready for your interview tomorrow. We'll get into the nitty-gritty of your plan to save Twitter. - Bryan Person

@Bryan: The original version of the vandalism was the best. It just got really blue from there. - Derek Peplau

FYI, THIS is the big inning for the Sox - Kyle

Derek-- got a screen shot of the original? I think I have seen it-- basically makes references to him being blind and blowing last night's game - Doug Haslam

@Kyle: Gotta smell the opportunity and pounce. Agreed. - Bryan Person

@Doug: Neither of those blown call led to a run, but it did cost Lester some extra pitches. - Bryan Person

AAARRRGGGGHHHH - Kyle

@Kyle: Which dodgy angle are you watching this game from on MLB.tv? - Bryan Person

i don't know why they have that balls & strikes pitching graphic. the umps aren't even close to calling it like the graphic. - Jim Storer

@Doug http://pic.gd/58553a - Derek Peplau

@Derek: Tears in my eyes with hysterical laughter. Helen Keller speaking appearance! - Bryan Person

@Kyle: Yyyeaaah, I'm going to have to go ahead and sort of...disagree with you there... - Derek Peplau

@Bryan Yeah, it was a masterstroke. It took some of the sting out of last night's hairball. - Derek Peplau

@derek remember, I'm 5 minutes behind everyone else since I don't have TBS/TNT so watching on MLB. @bryan, watching four angles currently. - Kyle

Amica strike zone much more accurate than pitchtrax - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

@derek I saw a slightly different version, but about the same. Is this the first game where the batter charges the ump instead of the mound? - Doug Haslam

There's another notable Bucknor umpire from the West Indies, though I think he's now retired. He's Steve Bucknor, and he was a leading umpire of international cricket matches. http://images.google.com/images... - Bryan Person

@kyle: Oh, didn't realize that...tuning in late. Still, I was thinking to myself before it started, "bats still silent tonight". - Derek Peplau

Boston boys, I'm in town 10/17-22. ALCS watching party (oh yeah, I went there) - Kyle

@Kyle: Oh, really? You going straight from Vegas > Boston? - Bryan Person

@Kyle: Will you have access to cable while in Boston? I think they have it up there. - Bryan Person

@bryan, yeah, leave for Vegas on Wednesday, then right to Boston for a @breakingpoint trade show for the week. - Kyle

@kyle-- you know I'm at Game 5 (assuming they advance) - Sect 32, GS Row 8. You'll be at Blogworld? I arrive Fri AM - Doug Haslam

@doug--yeah, at BWE until Saturday. Have tix right now to ALCS Game 3 right now though (knocking on wood). - Kyle

Got booted from the bedroom - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

@kyle i have tix to ALCS game three on 10/19 also. *knocking* - Jim Storer

@jim Nice! - Kyle

@kyle where are your seats? - Jim Storer

@kyle, @jim either of you going to Game 5? - Doug Haslam

@Kyle, @Jim: I do *not* have tix to ALCS Game 3. - Bryan Person

@Doug: Nor Game 5. - Bryan Person

I have (had) tickets to game 3 but had to sell them, I couldn't make it, I tried. REALLY good seats too :-( - Jason Kelly

This ED commercial with the guy slapping himself five in the mirror is ridiculous. - Bryan Person

@jim my buddy works for ESPN, so we'll be in a box or down in section 30 row 8 I think it is. Sat there for the 04 and 07 LCS. - Kyle

@doug not at the moment, but might have some if it starts to heat up. - Jim Storer

@Bryan I'm going to Game 5 if there is one at Fenway, even if I have to canoe all the f****ing way #asimplecanoe - Doug Haslam

ok - let's get some offense going... group WAVE - Jim Storer

Wave! - Jason Kelly

@doug @bryan really wish we all could have been there for the canoe story - Kyle

@Jim: I refuse to do the Wave, unless it's Google Wave (and in trying it for the first time about 15 minutes ago, it was also underwhelming) - Bryan Person

Whoever is posting on this account is a funny man. http://twitter.com/cbbuckn... - Jason Kelly

RFF: @Jim: I refuse to do the Wave, unless it's Google Wave (and in trying it for the first time about 15 minutes ago, it was also underwhelming) - Kyle

@bryan - i understand. this inning is sponsored by you. - Jim Storer

@Kyle: I'll fill you in tomorrow. It was equal parts amusing, annoying, and very sad. A vet who obviously has been through way too much s**t. - Bryan Person

@Kyle: RFF! - Love it! - Bryan Person

@bryan thought you would like RFF - Kyle

ok, i'll bit... RFF? - Jim Storer

@Kyle: The RFF from the KFF, as it were. - Bryan Person

@jim Retweet FriendFeed.... - Kyle

@Jim: Kyle just RFF'd my post about the Wave :) - Bryan Person

Did Adam run off to stare at his cheerleader poster again? - Bryan Person

@bryan you earned another RFF with that one, but I'm not going to go overboard - Kyle

i got the intent, just couldn't figure out the acronym in my current state - Jim Storer

@kyle Seconded Bryan-- he was obnoxious, drunk/damaged but earnest at the same time. We were (mostly) polite but then I started Tweeting his comments (I'm a jackass) and one of our companions was more overt in his eye-rolling. - Doug Haslam

@doug Hey, what happens in Missouri, stays in Missouri (I know, I married a girl from STL). - Kyle

@kyle but you're in TX - Doug Haslam

@doug they kicked her out of Missouri and since I'm not a cousin of Matt Damon they pushed me out of the Commonwealth. - Kyle

@DougH: Garth wanted to jettison Plain Wayne. I insisted we give him a pass. He was ultimately harmless. And that's because he hadn't brought his weapon with him. He had killed more than 300 men ... "unofficially." - Bryan Person

I am officially declaring war on all Beatles covers. If you subscribe to Mojo Mag as I do you'll have got to this point as well. the "All You Need is Love" ad? Die. - Doug Haslam

Um, there's still a game on, right? ;-) - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

I'm not overly confident if this becomes a battle of the bullpens. Beckett has been economical, though, so he has at least one more inning. - Bryan Person

I'm feeling less than confident. Boost my spirits folks! - Kyle

Kyle: Can you throw up a picture of you wearing the hat in a separate thread? Might be what turns the tide here. - Bryan Person

Sox are hitting Weaver better and better with each inning. Next inning is going to be a 5 run inning for the Sox. - Jason Kelly

@Jason: I like your confidence! - Bryan Person

The series is sponsored by Blackberry? Interesting. Never seen them do that type of buy before. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@bryan, great point!, I hadn't been wearing my hat. It is now on! - Kyle

@Bryan Got to have it, no one else is doing it - Jason Kelly

@Carissa Maybe if Jacoby steals a base everyone in America gets a Bberry - Doug Haslam

@jason, that is what I needed! - Kyle

Well that and some Heidi Watney - Kyle

@Jim, you better have your game attire on. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Wait, when did Vlad stop swinging at pitches? - Jim Storer

@Jim When Vlad turned 82 years old. His bat slowed a little - Doug Haslam

Boy fell asleep on the couch. I promise to wake him up if the redsox stop sucking - Doug Haslam

@Bryan Don't knock the poster. On the laptop now so I can keep up, couldn't find an iPod touch client that refreshed comments well on FF. - Adam Cohen

When you say boy do you mean me? Thinking about lying down. #badidea - Jim Storer

Walking guerrero is a crime - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

@Adam FF is a bucket of mobile fail-- don;t think they thought about mobile too much in building it - Doug Haslam

By the way, where's Aaron Strout? - Bryan Person

@Doug: And given that they're now owned by Facebook, they probably *won't* build a mobile app now. - Bryan Person

@Jim- no, my Boy. And if I stop moving I will sleep for 3 days. Bryan saw me, he knws wheere I'm at - Doug Haslam

@Doug: I hope you at least got some chocolate chip cookies on the flight home this morning? - Bryan Person

Come on Beckett, put your pants back on. - Jason Kelly

Not. ready. for. bullpen. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Can't afford to waste this start. - Derek Peplau

@Bryan-- no! not on the morning flight. Bastids - Doug Haslam

@Doug that's a big limitation, don't you think? How else could I digest a huge firehouse of useless crap if I can only do that on one type of device? - Adam Cohen

how about a ground ball - Jim Storer

@Adam what huge firehose of info/data (crap)? I thought you were on AT&T - Doug Haslam

@Adam: Ha! Yup ... I thought it was OK through the iPhone web browser, but then again, I wasn't in a chat like this. - Bryan Person

Beckett pitch count? - Doug Haslam

Doug: I'm going to say still only in 80s. - Bryan Person

Doug: this next one will be pitch 88. - Derek Peplau

@doug 88 - Kyle

Lost track. He was 64 through 5. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

I think it's time for the Angels to run themselves out of an inning. - Bryan Person

88 in 7th inning? not bad - Doug Haslam

could use a DP right here. - Adam Cohen

Mikey L is my MVP for this game so far. - Jason Kelly

wow - lowell is a rock. - Jim Storer

Lowell is a pro. - Doug Haslam

Lowell I Love Thee - Kyle

Great photo of Pedroia on Boston.com - http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-... - Bryan Person

@Bryan That picture was Petey during pregame stretching - Doug Haslam

Crud .... - Bryan Person

Crud - Doug Haslam

Want to smash. - Derek Peplau

shit - Kyle

Crud - Jim Storer

It's alright, Sox scoring 5 runs next inning. No worries. - Jason Kelly

&%$!&$%$!$%!%$!&&&& - Adam Cohen

nothing more annoying than the opponents dugout celebrating during the playoffs - Kyle

You know what you can do with those thunder sticks... - Adam Cohen

Ah yes, the fickle, fickle Sox offense disappears like Nessie beneath the waves. - Derek Peplau

need to get a power cord - Jim Storer

...for me. #sleepy - Jim Storer

@Jim take off your skirt, there's a lot of baseball to play yet - Adam Cohen

Beckett might have a case- Napoli didn;t get out of the way-- but he's not gonna win - Doug Haslam

At least Beckett is hitting something - Kyle

Napoli not only did not get out of the way, he leaned into it. Bad call, but non other than C...B... BUCKNOR! - Jason Kelly

@adam spoken like a man with an autographed Patriots cheerleader poster. - Jim Storer

think we need to keep this a one run game. - Jim Storer

101 pitches for Beckett. Quite reasonable, but this is it for him. - Bryan Person

btw-- Buck MArtinez, shut yer yap - Doug Haslam

Uh-oh. - Bryan Person

a;sodifja;oiegh;oiehg;lifng;oaigja;oigja;erogijaergo;ij - Kyle

Cue Benny Hill music. - Adam Cohen

This is a semi private public room, so-- fuck - Doug Haslam

Ouch. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Tito...Tito....Tito... - Kyle

hmm - Jim Storer

That went on FAR too long. He should have left an inning ago. - Jason Kelly

@Doug I think the phrase you were looking for: "Shut the Buck up." - Adam Cohen

I wouldn't feel so bad if the bats weren't acting like Mo Vaughn in the playoffs right now. - Kyle

Suddenly best of five is making me a lot more anxious. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Jim Lisa was working at an event booth next to the cheerleaders. Turns out one of them works for Accenture. She also got a signed poster for all three boys. - Adam Cohen

Ssssoooo....our season hinges on who again in game 3? I don't like Door #1 or Door #2. - Derek Peplau

Dice-K will save us - Doug Haslam

There's two innings of baseball left. Let's not talk Game 3 juuuust yet. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Carissa I hate to say it, but I think the Sox players checked out 3 weeks ago, so 3 more innings they won't even notice - Jason Kelly

@Doug THAT's a phrase no one thought would be uttered in 2009. - Adam Cohen

@adam by three boys you mean me, Colin and Derek right? - Jim Storer

So...what's George Lopez up to these days? #HisFatherIsTheDistrictAttorney! #YoureRiskingAPatientsLife! - Derek Peplau

I'm putting on my rally....blanket. *yawn* - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

I'm putting on my lucky chaps - Kyle

And speaking of which, is Frank Calliendo now living in a van down by the river? - Derek Peplau

@Jason: Where's your optimism? - Bryan Person

I think he left in the sixth inning. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

If A-Rod can do it, so can we!! - Kyle

Pinch hit for Gonzalez?Maybe, but with who? - Bryan Person

@Bryan you guys and the Sox killed it. (still scoring 5 here though) - Jason Kelly

@jim Um, sure, as far as you know. - Adam Cohen

Oliver as a setup man for the Angels. Kills me. - Bryan Person

@Carissa I think you mean Rally Snuggie? - Adam Cohen

There not booing they're saying Dreewwww...oh wait, no, they're booing. - Kyle

Good news folks, Mayo is playing on Sunday! - Kyle

Great news, I just saved 15% on my car insurance. - Adam Cohen

@Adam My birthday is in November. I'll expect you boys will be chipping in for my Rally Snuggie. ;-) - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Do NOT, I repeat do NOT go to espn.com right now. - Kyle

@Kyle: He was questionable earlier today. That's a nice upgrade! - Bryan Person

@Carissa: Mine, too. (11/3) - Bryan Person

Pinch hitting ... with Lowrie? Really? - Bryan Person

@bryan Just FYI, that is my prediction, not based on fact. I just need something to smile about. - Kyle

Jed, stop WATCHING the game and start PLAYING in it. - Jason Kelly

Oh for crying....that's it, just crying. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

great move putting in Lowrie... - Kyle

WTH? - Kyle

I'd like to understand the rationale behind bringing in a pinch hitter like lowrie in this situation. New pitcher - give gonzalez a chance - Jon Michaeli from Viigo

@Bryan. November rocks (I'm 11/29). - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

why can't we have someone like this going in game three - http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb... - Jim Storer

2 out rally! Rally caps everyone! - Doug Haslam

I changed hats, FYI - Kyle

Wait.. what just happened? Why is a Sox player running down the line and still standing on the base...? Shouldn't he be walking to the dugout, what is this? A hit?! - Jason Kelly

@Jason CB Bucknor asleep at the switch, apparently - Doug Haslam

My new hat has powers beyond reason here. - Kyle

@Jim: When it's 27 degrees tomorrow with snow flurries in Denver, Pedro will realize he's no longer sitting under his mango tree. - Bryan Person

@Carissa I seriously looked really hard online for about 30 seconds and couldn't find a Red Sox branded snuggie. I see huge market potential! Imagine the merchandising. Pats snuggies at Foxboro. Angels snuggies with build in sleeves for thundersticks. Steelers snuggies in terrible yellow... - Adam Cohen

Did y'all bring your sun glasses? You are about to see the Laser Show! - Jason Kelly

@Adam The Terrible Snuggie! - Doug Haslam

@Adam We have a partnership in the making. Pro-Snuggies. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Doug: What do you think Wayne's saying right about now? #ASimpleCanoe - Bryan Person

@Doug: Have you been up all day? Any sleeping on the plane? You've gotta be a mess. - Bryan Person

@Bryan He's still on the same tool-- He just got out of the marines, and he's waiting for his plane ticket. Mastery Gunner Sergeant, but just "Plain Wayne". If I look like that when I'm 46 kill me - Doug Haslam

No more predictions for me. - Jason Kelly

@Bryan little snooze on the plane-- then useless at the office - Doug Haslam

5...0...you were THAT close. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Kyle: Changing hats might not be enough. Time to do something drastic. - Bryan Person

Did we lose Jim? - Bryan Person

nope... just looking for Red Sox branded Snuggies. Never mind me... - Jim Storer

Bryan, I've changed EVERYTHING now - Kyle

Watching Friday Night Lights on TV, game on the Mac. Liking the results of the former. - Kyle

Vin Scully's call from yesterday's Dodgers comeback. Starts with 2 outs, nobody on in the 9th: http://mlb.mlb.com/media... - Bryan Person

I really think we could sell Pats snuggies like hotcakes at a cold day at Gillette. - Adam Cohen

Bryan are you trying to pain my household that is split 50/50, Cardinals and Red Sox fans? - Kyle

@Adam Totally. Let's do it! - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Kyle: Ahh, sorry; forgot about that. This has not been a good 1st round on any fronts (Red Sox, Cardinals, Twins) - Bryan Person

@bryan My mother-in-law was so pained for Matt Holliday last night I was nearly brought to tears. Then I watched my 2004 World Series DVDs. - Kyle

Superstition kicking in. Stepping away from laptop. Changing seats. Finishing wine. Securing rally cap. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Kyle: I hadn't seen what happened. Just got through the Holliday play. "So ... a painful error," says Scully, after noting the ball had hit him "in the groin." - Bryan Person

Dear TBS: Nice job picking up Orsillo, but is it really that hard to find good color commentary? - Adam Cohen

@bryan I felt so bad for him, the guy is such a quality pro. - Kyle

Switching to scotch, I think that will help. - Kyle

@Carrisa have your people call my people - Adam Cohen

VMart sweet call with the pitch out! - Adam Cohen

Switched from one couch to the other, and Martinez throws out a runner. Good sign. - Bryan Person

Beat LAA...Beat LAA...Beat LAA - Kyle

Tweet of the night from @cbbucknor: "is hitting california screamin' with kendrick after the game. after that, boobies." (sorry, laughed out loud, worth sharing) - Adam Cohen

RFF: Tweet of the night from @cbbucknor: "is hitting california screamin' with kendrick after the game. after that, boobies." (sorry, laughed out loud, worth sharing) - Kyle

@Kyle (cc: @AdamCohen): an RFF of an RT - Bryan Person

@bryan, should I have done RFFRT? - Kyle

@Kyle: Oh, maybe. (BTW, bases loaded with Loretta up in replay). - Bryan Person

@Kyle: Scully actually didn't get that excited. - Bryan Person

OK, no one move couches again. I just moved and Youk hit a double. - Adam Cohen

@adam I'm not moving and inch - Kyle

My roommate from college was from Atlanta. Whenever the Braves started coming back, he would yell if I tried to move. - Bryan Person

C'mon, Papi! - Bryan Person

Game 3...start visualizing the win folks. - Kyle

Still some hope! - Bryan Person

still here-- there is hope... - Doug Haslam

Damn. - Bryan Person

damn - Kyle

@Kyle: Time to get ready for Sunday brunch. - Bryan Person

Sigh - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

And....hope gone. Until game 3. Night folks. @Jim, great way to enjoy the game, nice idea. - Adam Cohen

Can't believe we're actually down 0-2. Still, I seem to remember coming back from worse odds. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

Girl woke up crying, said she had a bad dream...I told her it was real. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

G'nite, gents. It was a pleasure (except for the part where our team bitterly lost). Thx, Jim. - Carissa Caramanis O'Brien

@Carissa: That's right - like that confidence! Things turn around ... starting Sunday. - Bryan Person

G'night from NW Austin, TX. Don't lose hope! - Bryan Person

agree with you - especially after Google Wave demo - could be the next book surely! Love to see how Google wave (socio-secure platform) fits into organisations and therefore unleashes corporate social initiatives (should make them meatier rather than apologies we see today) - Rahul Deodhar

2 more comments

It would be fascinating if you both can come up with a cross-platform presentation about future of Web - I mean you can alternatively take up being the interviewer... - Rahul Deodhar

A book? Do we need a book? Does it have to be a book? (I'm not answering that question, just asking it). - Doug Haslam

Chris: Have to agree with you this would make a great read. However built into the book should be a clear understanding that there will be a 2011 web and then a 2012 etc. Basically there is a constant need to evolve. - Peter du Toit (S.Africa)

The commenters have it right. Especially this one: The prevalence and increased use of social media networks has created even stronger demand for public relations firms who are able to advise these clients on effective and credible use of these tools. Social media networks have increased the amount of white noise. They’ve also made it easier for companies to make very public and embarrassing missteps. All of this results in greater demand for a PR firm’s services. - Molly

Yes, but too many PR firms are slow to adapt. They're still spending their time picking out the paper for their press releases and finely tuning their press lists. Stuck in 1998. - Curt Mercadante

That doesn't change the fact that PR isn't dead. It's a new game, yes. However, the NEW PR isn't one program/application/company, it's the adaptable PR people willing to get out there and use new methods as well as continue with the old for those who prefer to be marketed to in that fashion. It's still PR. You do your own PR (at least for the most part) and are really good at it. Are... more... - Molly

Whoa, hey, thanks for the link, Chris! And all, you got my point. PR does need to adapt and some will be left behind or something along those lines. It's exciting being part of the change, that's for sure. - Doug Haslam

"The internet is killing newspapers and giving birth to a new sort of news business." Plus link to depth feature story. - Neville Hobson from Bookmarklet

Was actually wondering if they would suggest a picture of what they think the new news distribution will look like, if only for discussion's sake - Doug Haslam

"In response to a follower who called him "gay" for hurting his hand on a punching bag at the gym, Ashton Kutcher twittered (to his 290,655 followers): "can we just get clear, calling some one 'gay' or 'fag' is as derogatory as calling someone a 'nigger'. U look like an idiot when you do it."" - Derrick from Bookmarklet

208 more comments

yeah, he's not the brightest dude. at all. - Cee Bee

Twitter is seriously the worst thing that's happened to some people. Wow. - Mona Nomura

idiot WIN. - Jim #TeamMonique

There's someone with 290K followers? Wow. And I don't even know who he is. - Morton Fox

Why does he and Demi think they're the prom king and queen of Twitter? - Michael Forian

Counsel from Ashton Kutcher on how not to look like an idiot = totally awesome!! - Anthony Citrano

Is he still around? Didn't know. - Martha

Maybe it's just me, looking at this thread so far...but it's kind of cool he did this. A lot of the folks reading that will never listen to any of us. But they'll pay attention when he says it. Maybe I'm not following Ashton closely enough? - Hutch Carpenter

I read this entire thread with eyebrows raised. I thought what he said made perfect sense and needed to be said. Yeah, he said "nigger", but he said it for good reason. I agree with Hutch, if the man has 290K followers, SOMEONE is still worried about what he says and thinks. - Rahsheen?

He meant well. I don't get all the bashing - Rodfather

perhaps he meant well Hutch, but his message loses impact the moment he invokes the "N" word into his message. of course he wasn't using it in a derogatory way, but he has no business using it in the first place in order to make the point he tried to make. it makes no sense at all - Cee Bee

Maybe he shouldn't be using the N word, but I definitely give him a pass in this case. - Rahsheen?

+10 meta drama exp points - sean percival

Looks like the gays are appreciative of Ashton speaking out in a capacity that someone not normally seen as a supporter of gay rights taking up the cause. OTOH, the use of the N word kinda deflates any loft he might have created. - Derrick

sean - LaLaWag? - Hutch Carpenter

To me, the use of the N word was necessary. Of course, people will complain about him using it, but saying "The N Word" is also nowhere near as powerful and nobody would be talking about it had he phrased it that way. - Rahsheen?

i disagree lindsey, especially if the word "fag" was used in whatever chain of twitter messages the one in the photo was a result of. gay bashing or epithets of that nature seem to be what the subject revolves around whereas the word "nigger" has absolutely nothing to do with this and is therefore just awkward and out of place - Cee Bee

??? I read his tweet as : he knows the N word is terrible and shouldn't be said.. and uses it to make a point that "gay" and "Fag" are just as bad... ALL are UNACCEPTABLE!! - Alistair (alpinefolk)

I'll just say that there are too many contradictory rules with many words and regardless of anything else, the tweet itself was an attempt for good. My grandmother taught me that good intentions always count for something, even when you frack it up sideways. - Michael W. May

it's like if someone calls another person a "shoe" and then someone else says you shouldn't call them a shoe, because calling them a "helmet" is also unacceptable. ok, thanks for that lesson, ashton - Cee Bee

shouldn't we base offense at words by the intent of use rather than the word itself? Some have called for censoring the word, but what use is that when we all read it out in an uncensored way? Unless people actually create a "beep" in their head when they read it. We know what that word is regardless of spurious "*" and "!" use. - alphaxion

Of course the word "nigger" has a place here. Calling someone "fag" or "gay" as a derogatory term is just as bad as calling someone a "nigger". That's the point. - Rahsheen?

@Michael The road to hell is paved with good intentions. - Jason Shultz from twhirl

And so is the road to self improvement, learning, and change. - Michael W. May

Judging by the comments in this thread his comment was necessary. Unless I'm not understanding people who think he was wrong, it sounds like you don't agree with him. - Kenton

I don't get the objection to his statement either. Part of me thinks its the messenger and not the message that has initiated the gag reflex displayed in this thread. - Jason Toney

Meh. Sticks and stones. - Mattb4rd

J. I don't see the ruse. - Jason Toney

How was he being insincere? - Andrew

i don't think he was being insincere, just naive and unsophisticated - Cee Bee

Oh I wasn't referring to you, Cee Bee. J said he was using them as an artifice and of all the reactions so far that is the one I don't get. - Andrew

Good for him. Seriously don't get the negative comments in this thread. - Anika

The n-bomb is a word that needs to die a trillion deaths - regardless of whose mouth it's coming out of. If someone can say it freely while making a point, they can also say it freely in other contexts, too. - Mona Nomura

I would like to see someone structure a tweet that illustrates the point as simply and powerfully as this does. Sometimes you have to smack someone in the face if you really want them to pay attention. Nobody is making any clear point as to why he shouldn't have said it this way. - Rahsheen?

I get the negative comments. I don't give people "passes" no matter what point he was trying to make. I'm not going to lead an ashton kutcher boycott (I don't watch his movies anyway) and I'm not going to unfollow him on twitter (don't follow him) but I'm not going to give him props for an ill-conceived response to internet trolls. - Richard Lawler

Rasheen - I think this whole thread says more about the emotions tied to the N word than it does about his point. Though I agree with you. It is hard to be sophisticated in 140 characters. There isn't space for nuance. You have just enough room to poke someone in the eye with your words and that's about it. - Andrew

Just to stir things up, I've often pondered the strive for gay rights as something equivalent to that of the Civil Rights movement in the 60's to which many black folk have summarily dismissed and admonished. This might be the wrong thread to discuss that, though. - Derrick

rahsheen, i disagree. there have been very clear points as to why some people disagree with this "comparison" and/or analogy. no one's denying he didn't perhaps have the right motive in mind. what some people are saying is that it just wasn't necessary to use as the word fag or gay are insults/derogatory statements that have enough power to stand on their own. why use the "N" word and not some other racial epithet? just seems out of place - Cee Bee

One more time: The n-bomb is a word that needs to die a trillion deaths - regardless of whose mouth it's coming out of. If someone can say it freely while making a point, they can also say it freely in other contexts, too - Mona Nomura

It's all about the context. I personally don't drop the n-bomb cause i look at it as being disrespectful. I totally agree the word needs to go. However rappers tend to use it in a different context than I would. - ЯIИGҜIИG

Agreed, Andrew. The trees are definitely blocking the forest here. - Rahsheen?

Context? A term created as a derogatory term, remains derogatory, no matter the "context". I don't believe you can use the "n-word" in any case. All this once again points to the huge social emphasis (and sickness) on using purile labels to divide and dehumanize sections of humanity. - Mo Kargas

I agree about the other terms, but "gay"... isn´t that different ? I mean it used to mean happy as opposed to the other terms´ original meanings if any. I wouldn´t think twice about saying that a friend of mine (who is gay) is gay (if it was any of the third person´s business that is). PS! I´m not a native English speaker. - ɯɥøq sɐɯoɥʇ

Cee Bee, you're missing the entire point. "fag" and "gay" do NOT have any power to some people. They are the same as "stupid" and "dork". The point of the tweet was to draw a comparison that even the most moronic of people could understand. You wouldn't call someone a "nigger" just because they did something silly or stupid or that you didn't like. Maybe you know better, but MOST people do not. - Rahsheen?

Thomas, I think they're talking about using "gay" in describing something as lame, wack, or stupid, not in the same-sex coupling, or even happy and good-spirited way. (And your English is awesome.) - Derrick

Lndsay - Rasheen said he gave him a pass. I don't give him a pass. He didn't need to say it, or even bring it up, so I don't see any problem with question his usage of the word. There's a million different things he could have said or done, and he picked that one, if someone wants to call him on it, that's completely their choice. I have no idea why anyone would think that his response was the best way to address that comment, I certainly don't agree with that viewpoint. - Richard Lawler

Derrick: Ah.. like how they call stupid things "Norwegian" in Minnesota ? ;) No, I see. Well, then there are lots of such words used in derogatory ways. You can´t just list three words, you just shouldn´t be derogatory of sexuality, ethnicity, etc. whichever way. But if you do, I agree, it _does_ make you look like an idiot. - ɯɥøq sɐɯoɥʇ

i don't feel i'm missing any point at all here. some people who drop racially incendiary words don't know the power in them either. this touches on a wider issue than mere context. to me it's about one word not having anything to do with another as per the original discussion. in my eyes, he ain't bridging the gap of equality by using "nigger" as a way to combat people from dropping a word like "fag." the two don't have any relation in this argument - Cee Bee

I would like to see any of you put across the same point Ashton has without using the word "nigger". This thread alone proves why no other word quite works. His tweet would have been ignored. - Rahsheen?

OMG EPIC FAIL I love the twitter diarrhea from celebs, thank you white & straight moron! - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Exactly Rahsheen. Reading the reactions in this discussion, he chose very effective words. Maybe in some years, hopefully people will get this pissed off for using any derogatory word. IMO, he was very efficient at making a point that everyone would understand in 140 characters. - Rodfather

I am the only one who is bothered by his use of 'u'? The rest of it was fine! How is 'nigger' any less acceptable of a term than 'gay' to discuss? - fn (fairnymph)

Yeah, the U makes me cringe. I think the difference is that he is using the n word as a point of comparison. But he's using that U sincerely and thinks that it is the correct way to talk to humans. - Andrew

And of course someone is one word not two - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

*sigh* Sweet Baby Jesus... - Rahsheen?

SEE! Way better reasons to hate on Ashton. I think what most annoys me about 'u' (in addition to it being a pet peeve) is that he types 'you' later in the same sentence! It's not even consistently lazy! So it almost seems contrived, like he's trying to be 'hip' or something. As for nigger...why the fuck is 'the n word' so offensive but other derogatory terms are okay? What gives race a special blasphemy-level rating? - fn (fairnymph)

@fairynympho & further as equitable as calling someone gay or fag, seriously qualitatively different - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

I think it's interesting when people who aren't black, question, or even tell black people when they can and can't be offended. I don't agree with his entire concept of comparing offensiveness, it's a stupid approach to take from the beginning. - Richard Lawler

richard, i'm with you on many levels here. - Cee Bee

sofar - why? Richard - I'm not gay either, so I have an equal relationship to blackness and gayness. Well, I'm more gay than I am black, so maybe not *exactly* but you get my point. Regardless, I'm not talking about how the people described by such terms feel - I'm talking about general acceptance of such terms. - fn (fairnymph)

fn - I don't know how you'd gauge general acceptance of such terms, since what people do and say in public, and what they think, or do and say in private or in different social circles can be very different things, plus it varies so greatly depending on what group of people you're talking about. - Richard Lawler

Like I keep saying: if a person can use that word freely - even to make a point, they are saying it in other contexts, too. Period. - Mona Nomura

@fn gay/fag have to do with sexual orientation & at times are acceptable to use as the community is empowering the usage much the same way as "queer, however the other has a clear racial historical background that is much more severe and not of that sort, @Lindsey nope they're allowed to say the n word, but the equity issue remains - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Matthew, really? So we only have to complain about his grammar! Richard - What you say is true. Also, I'd like to point out that no one said blacks can or cannot be offended by anything, or gays, or whatever group. And I still think that either you think some things are okay to 'derogatise', or none/all. - fn (fairnymph)

ai... bet you yanks get funny looks when us brits say "gis a fag" ;o) meaning a smoke!! ;o) - Rob Sellen :o)

I think it's a very powerful statement, and thus will probably resonate with many people. As someone else stated, he have worded it more eloquently, but fewer people would have absorbed it. - fn (fairnymph)

Seriously, Mona? How can you make that assumption? I want to pick a word that's really BAD in order to show people how disgusting they're being. I want a word that just about anyone with any sense would find offensive. What word do I pick? - Rahsheen?

@Rob it gets me hot - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

I'm not sure about the some/all question, but I did think some of the responses here indicated that people shouldn't be offended by his use of the terms he used, because of the reasons behind it, and that's not the kind of process I can get behind. I don't like comparing offenses because for most people it isn't a clearly defined line of what/when/who they care about offending, or how they'd react to perceived slights. - Richard Lawler

I used the word 'nigger' in scrabble, once. Am I racist? - fn (fairnymph)

Richard, from what I see most of the people saying he made his point, *are* black. Rahsheen, Cecily, me...But no one here has told you not to be offended, okay? - Anika

You're someone I wouldn't play scrabble with again, but clearly that's not a problem for you. - Richard Lawler

Shawn, saying the gay community is empowering usage of gay/fag/queer is the same as saying the black community is empowering usage of nigger. I think this is where the problem is. Nobody seems to get the fact that what Ashton said is the absolute truth. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe an actual gay person will step in and correct me. - Rahsheen?

lol @sofarsoshawn ;o) - Rob Sellen :o)

@Rasheen no it's not saying the same thing - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

rahsheen.. I agree with you.. he said it right, with max impact.. thats WHY he said it that way ;o) - Rob Sellen :o)

I didn't say I was offended Anika, I said you don't speak for me, and I don't like the idea that anyone, black or not, would or could give out a "pass", there's a difference. - Richard Lawler

Seriously, Richard? IT'S A VALID WORD. - fn (fairnymph)

There are lots of valid words that I wouldn't put down on a scrabble board, but clearly we play the game differently. This is exactly my point, you can decide what words you're going to use in your daily life, and I can decide how I'm going to react to them. - Richard Lawler

Richard, no one said that they were speaking for you either. But I wouldn't play Scrabble with fairnymph either. Ugh. - Anika

What about Scrabulous? - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

it might be a valid word for a scrabble match between you and your buddies, but i doubt you'd be using it in a friendly scrabble game at an NAACP meeting. get real - Cee Bee

Wow. You can learn a lot about people from topics such as these. Scrabble? Really? WOW. - Mona Nomura

Anything in the scrabble dictionary is game, as far as I am concerned. And other than that one time, it's not word I've ever used. I don't know that I've ever said it aloud, so I resent the assumption that it's 'part of my daily life'. Go project onto someone else. - fn (fairnymph)

If you can drop it on a Scrabble board, who knows where else you could be dropping it - just saying. - Mona Nomura

ain't no one projecting when you're the one who openly admits to giving that word legitimacy by sharing with us that you've used it in damn scrabble game. you know you sound real dunce-like, right? - Cee Bee

How often do you use the word 'xi' in daily life, Mona? That's some seriously irrational reasoning. - fn (fairnymph)

Mona, apparently she uses it only in her head. :/ - Anika

in a scrabble game = in your daily life. I don't have to project anything. You're not concerned with other players considering what you're doing offensive, which is completely your right. I have no problem with it, but I wouldn't be in that game. - Richard Lawler

Clearly it is in your vocabulary, if you use it in Scrabble. Just like how Ashton used it in his Tweet. - Mona Nomura

Words used in Scrabble are quite different then the words you speak to others in everyday life; whatever gets you points - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

I'm pretty much just going to agree with everything Rah and Lindsey D said in this thread. - Bec Rowe @d0tski

see the quote marks around the words. i can see where he's coming from. should he of said it?? probably not. but it got his message across. - Terry O'Fee

Mona, there is a difference between 'this is something I know is a word' and 'this is a word I commonly use'. If you don't see that, there's no help for you. - fn (fairnymph)

Remember when everyone was looking forward to the open and frank discussions about race? Let's stop inferring, guessing what people are thinking, remember our backgrounds make us unaware of how things affect others, and let the discussion continue without judging the participants per a few lines of text. - Michael W. May

Oh good lord. I've also used CUNT. Do I hate my own sex, now? Wtf, people. - fn (fairnymph)

I never said commonly, I said it is in your vocabulary. I know the word exists but it is not included in my vocabulary. That is why you are beyond help. :) - Mona Nomura

you know what? completely off topic, i can understand why people hate these words but haven't got any problems with someone using the c word (not to another female of course) but say objects or whatever... - Terry O'Fee

south park - NAGGERS!!! - Terry O'Fee

Mona, if you know what the word means, it's just as much in your vocabulary as mine. Anika, I resent your implication. Why is okay to attack me - for being honest - but it's a crime of the nth degree to use a valid word in a game? - fn (fairnymph)

If you want to get technical, the Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary defines "A vocabulary" as "all the words known and used by a particular person". I certainly know the word but I do not use it. Therefore, it is not in my vocabulary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki... - Mona Nomura

Clearly, your restraint in Scrabble makes you superior, Mona. - fn (fairnymph)

The word NIGGER has never done any good for anyone as far as I can tell. If the shear disgust brought about by the use of it could jar someone into being more respectful to people different from them, I'm all for it. If you feel like the simple act of using the word in any form or fashion is offensive, I guess you'd like to bury it. I think burying it runs counter to actually resolving the issues around it. I'm black and people trying to forget about the word Nigger kinda pisses me off. - Rahsheen?

I do not need to exercise restraint, since the word is not in my vocabulary, fn - which is my point. Rah - comprehension and utilization are two different things. I never said bury it. I am saying it should not be in people's vocabularies. - Mona Nomura

what indication is there that the use of the word did jar anyone into being more respectful of the people around them? - Richard Lawler

Rah, I've been lurking, reading this comment stream and had a similar thought. Burying the word, forgetting it, ignoring it etc... doesn't seem like the right answer. - mikepk

To clarify: because certain words are omitted from my vocabulary, it means I am burying, forgetting, or ignoring? - Mona Nomura

None, Richard, but it did spark a discussion about using "fag" and "gay" as derogatory terms and how that might be as offensive as calling someone a "nigger". There are over 100 comments here. Mona, if no one is ever allowed to say or print the word, it has officially been buried. You seem to imply that anyone using it is doing something wrong. Maybe I'm reading incorrectly. - Rahsheen?

Sanctimonious faux political correctness has really gotten out of control with some of you. So, what about words like "rape", "murder" or "slave"? If I use the word rape in scrabble does that mean I'm advocating rape? Wow, I can't figure out who'd like this thread more, Aldous Huxley or George Orwell. - Anthony Citrano

This conversation makes my head hurt. There's offshoots about race, language, etiquette, sexuality, and on and on. The focus has been on "the n-bomb" or "nigger" if you can handle it. Yet so little has focused on the original point -- that "the f bomb" and "g bomb" when used to hurt should be treated with the same derision. Bigotry of all stripes should not be tolerated. - Jason Toney

To that end, i'm now mad at Ashton for using a pejorative to describe simple-minded folk. - Jason Toney

Like I keep saying (LOL) if a person can use it to make a point, it means it is in their vocabulary, which means they can use it in any which way and form. I am not saying it needs to be ignored, but taught to all of the American people - like the way Hilary Swank did in the movie Freedom Fighters. Once we comprehend the implications of the word, I should hope people have common sense, empathy, and understanding of humanity to make the choice right for them. For someone to say "I know what the word implies - Mona Nomura

...but I am not racist since I didn't use it in racist form." is a load of crap to me. - Mona Nomura

++++ Jason - fn (fairnymph)

+Jason - Rodfather

I don't think sparking a discussion = jarring people into being more respectful. I think the discussion that's been sparked has simply illustrated how most people justify their stances, but they don't suddenly change them because of some new comparison. - Richard Lawler

This thread is too long and meandering. Maybe I'm being repetitive. Are you saying that Ashton just took this as an opportunity to say "nigger" for no apparent reason? Also, I still haven't seen anyone rephrase his tweet in a manner equally powerful without using "The N Word" - Rahsheen?

That is why racism will never die in this country. People are always making excuses for themselves and each other. - Mona Nomura

" it means it is in their vocabulary, which means they can use it in any which way and form" - Mona, this is the point at which all logic leaks out of your brain. - fn (fairnymph)

I hate the phrase "the n-word". I believe Ashton used the word properly and effective. otherwise, this thread wouldn't have so many comments. - jbrotherlove

Mona N., I'd argue that when the words of intolerance no longer hold power over us, when their usage can no longer put people in their place or invoke fear or images of pain and hate is when the bigotry of language dies. I, however, would never presume to know what's in a person's heart just because they used a word. Their actions and intent -- the content of their character, if you will -- is how I judge. - Jason Toney

The problem with making the word so super taboo that you can't use it in any context is you give it that much more power for people who do use it maliciously. STILL, using it in such a public manner/place is a pretty shortsighted thing to do. Though you will note that it did get attention..As far as people hating Ashton and Demi being on Twitter. Thats ridiculous. They are just having fun with a technology that we all enjoy. Why should them being famous prevent them from that? Don't like don't follow em. - Joe "Funkasaurus" Pierce

But words are powerful. It's how we communicate, how we represent ourselves, and how we empower ourselves and each other. Knowledge, the sentences we construct, the words that come out of our mouths is the one thing people can not take away from us. Us being you, me, everyone. To know the implications, the connotations, and comprehending what a word connotes is something that applies to all words across the board. How do I know what is in a person's heart? I judge by the words that come out a person's mouth - Mona Nomura

Mona, but the thing about words is there is inflection and meaning behind them. If we make a word so powerful that we can't even use it in an explanatory manner then we make the word more powerful. I'm not arguing that the word should be used more(or publicly for that matter). But I am arguing that there are occasions where it can be used without evil intent. - Joe "Funkasaurus" Pierce

And fn (fairnymph)? If you can easily drop it on Scrabble for points, how is one to know you haven't easily dropped it for any other reason? I am extremely curious to see how asking that question is illogical. Joe - how do we know that? How do we determine a person's intent? We can only tell a person's intent by the words that come out of their mouths. - Mona Nomura

Guess I need a lobotomy then, Mona, to scrub those bad nasty words from my vocabulary and make me a better citizen. I'm reminded of an old Boingo tune, "Controller"... - Anthony Citrano

Calm down, Anthony. I am just trying to understand how words are OK to use in some instances but not ok in others. - Mona Nomura

That doesn't work, Mona. It doesn't work because some people do not truly understand the words they use. Nigger, Fag, and Gay are 3 perfect examples of this. How many people say stuff is "gay" without realizing what they're doing? I'm quite positive you're aware of the debate about the word Nigger. You can't judge someone on their actual words because you don't know what those words mean *to them*. - Rahsheen?

Intent is in the context. To use Ashton as an example he is not calling anyone the name, nor is he using it in a derogatory sense. He is using it in an analogy because we all know how powerful an insult it is, so now we know he considers the others equally as bad. Should he have used the word that way? probably not, but the intent behind it wasn't meant for anything more than shock and comparison. - Joe "Funkasaurus" Pierce

This is funny LOLing - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Also I should point out, most of what I'm talking about in my feelings applies more to spoken word where you can hear inflection. Written word is a tougher nut to crack. - Joe "Funkasaurus" Pierce

Mona, I love ya, but you are so wrong here... judging people by such narrow guides and small amounts of evidence, if you will, without knowing intent, without allowing for differences in starting point perspectives, make it difficult for people of different worlds to ever understand each other. - Michael W. May

I think Ashton made TWO points. The first was that using gay or fag in a derogatory manner is unacceptable. The second was that it is unacceptable to call someone a nigger. I have no problem with this. As far as I'm concerned, he doesn't EVEN need my pass, your pass, or the hall monitor's pass. He goes; he collects two hundred dollars. - MiniMage

I think Ashton's a closeted gay, and his dumbass tweet failed to quash any rumours except verify his stupidity - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

"And fn (fairnymph)? If you can easily drop it on Scrabble for points, how is one to know you haven't easily dropped it for any other reason? I am extremely curious to see how asking that question is illogical. " I already answered this, but apparently you can't read. There are many words that are used only in scrabble. XI was one example. - fn (fairnymph)

Ok, I read through all of this and I don't understand slamming him, either. I'd explain my POV for defending it but a ton of other people have defended him well enough. It was done with good intentions. In the words of MMABB - He goes. - Shawn Farner

There are way too many comments here to keep up - so LOL @ you for calling me illogical for making assumptions, when you are telling me I can't read. Relax, this isn't personal. So just to understand, you are excusing your use of the n-word because it was for Scrabble. That's funny... and kind of sad. - Mona Nomura

what about a play, or rephrasing from a film? what if you're trying to explain to someone a part of blazing saddles?? - Terry O'Fee

@fn I agree there's a clear separation as to what gets you points in a game & as to what you do and speak in real life; to speak otherwise is wrong. I love Halo yet don't go on massacres too frequently. And thereby as to calling you a racist is utterly offensive. - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Ashton's use of the word nigger was the most succinct possible. If anyone wants to think he, and now me, and others in this conversation are racist for actually spelling it out instead of using some 4th grade code word, thats their right. As it is mine to think that anyone who would have such an opinion is an ignorant fool. Of course you don't call people any of those names. But to say even using them in reference makes you a racist/homophobe/immoral person just really makes me sick. - Tony Miller

I wonder. Using that logic, when the word is used in a movie, is it just the actor uttering the lines automatically a racist or is it everyone else involved in the movie as well for being complicit in it? - Tony Miller

shan, your argument doesn't hold up. There are social mores that -- while not cheating -- people usually don't break, even playing a game, and if you do, people judge you based on them. it happens all the time. - Richard Lawler

well example - blazing saddles. anyone who has ever watched that film knows mel's having a go at racism, but the amount of times that word is used in the film... - Terry O'Fee

I did not and have not called anyone racist - those are conclusions you drew, Tony. My point is, from the very beginning of this thread: if you can speak those words in any context, how are we supposed to know when and how you choose to speak those words? I don't understand why people are getting so upset. - Mona Nomura

There isn't logic to the rules regarding the n word. It's emotional. That doesn't mean it is less valid, but it's important that you don't expect it to rational. - Andrew

i'm fine, i'm genuinely curious about the whole conversation. used within context the word should not be shunned, but going up to someone pretending to use "ganster" words and dropping it is in poor taste... - Terry O'Fee

I'm not racist, and I hate the word, but in Ashton's case, he was trying to make a point. Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing in the world, but he did get his point across. I think people, we need to stop getting upset over this. Ashton is not a racist and he wasn't using the word in a derogatory way. I'm following Ashton on Twitter and I missed this until now. Sometimes we need to be blunt like this to make a point. - Molly Song ;)

The power of any word is determined solely by the listener. - Mattb4rd

have a listen to greydon square's song "the n word" and listen to how he uses the word . he has a whole other feeling for the word (he doesn't like the word, but he uses it to call a certain type of black people..) - Terry O'Fee

Why do you need to know when and how someone chooses to speak the words? What does that have to do with anything if you don't plan to draw conclusions about those people? - Rahsheen?

False, Matt. People need to take responsibility for the words that come out of their mouths. Accountability, period. - Mona Nomura

gay != nigger - Chris Brakebill

" There are social mores that -- while not cheating -- people usually don't break, even playing a game, and if you do, people judge you based on them" This is a good filter, I feel. I absolutely judge people who feel whipped by social mores. - fn (fairnymph)

No, Mona, you didn't specifically call any one person a racist. Of course I didn't mention you, nor anyone else in my statement. The fact that you concluded I was says more about you than I. Another conclusion I see is that anyone said that its just fine to use derogatory words in ANY context. No one has said that. I think it has been said that to use it as an example of a word that is definately not ok to call anyone, showing that the other words are just as not ok, makes sense in context. One of the few. - Tony Miller

What of the accountability of the offended party Mona? Respond if you must, to words that offend you, but don't react. To do otherwise is to fertilize the very ground that the seeds of racism are sewn in and to relinquish the power of the self into the control of the offender. - Mattb4rd

@Mona I am calm, I'm just saying your position - that the mere presence of a word in one's vocabulary necessarily imbues the beholder with all of that word's social sins - is a strange ‘guilt-by-knowledge’ view that I've never quite heard before. - Anthony Citrano

So if you feel he shouldn't have used the N word because it was offensive, then what non-offensive word would have been suitable in its place, and conveyed the same powerful message? Smurf? Sorry, but any word that would have had the same punch would have been just as offensive to someone somewhere, and we'd be right back at the beginning. - April Russo

You don't think there's any way to have a powerful message without using those words? In 140 characters? Really? - Richard Lawler

*blink blink* WTF? *sigh* What a mess ... I'm with Rah on this one. - BEX

Call me black and white (or crazy) but I have seen and experienced too many forms of all kinds of racism and bigotry to know that if a person can easily drop certain words or references to make a point, or earn points in a game, who knows in what contextual form they also use it in. What we see and what goes on behind doors are two very separate things. - Mona Nomura

And you have no idea what goes on behind those doors, so why are you pre-judging people before you even know their intentions? - Rahsheen?

Because the words you choose represents who you are? - Mona Nomura

a lot of it comes from towns and where you live as well. i know a lot of people who don't use that word (australia) but similar. im not saying thats right for them to use it but people do it as reflex, if they've heard it from the family and peers all their life. especially in country communities like where i grew up. like is said, i dont agree but im not about to completely disown someone because of an off word of comment they might say while out... - Terry O'Fee

But more than the words you choose is how & why.you use them. - April Russo

The answer to your question, Mona, would be only that person knows. And maybe someone who hangs around them constantly. So if you don't know how someone acts "behind doors" its cool to assume the worst about them? Especially when the act the assumption is based on was designed to have the exact opposite effect? In this case reduce the incidence of derogatory name calling in general? - Tony Miller

You think so? If someone was hanging out with your kids and out of the blue brought up child molestation, you'd think, man I'm glad he's comfortable discussing such normally uncomfortable topics. You wouldn't think that was kind of odd to just be on the tip of the tongue? Not even a little? I wouldn't ever say I'm not judgemental, but I don't think i'm unreasonable. - Richard Lawler

So, Mona. If someone calls his friends "gay", then he thinks his friends are all homosexual? If I'm black and call people "nigger", I think they're racially inferior to me or something? Don't you call your friends all types of stupid crap? Should a 3rd party judge you for it as you choose to judge others? On their words alone? - Rahsheen?

I am not a mind reader, so I take the words that come out of one's mouth as is. I do not analyze (nor take the time to analyze). Words mean things so say waht you mean and mean what you say. Excusing a person by saying: "Oh, it's ok because he didn't use it in XX way" is a load of crap. - Mona Nomura

I think what he said had a lot more punch & power than what I said here: http://friendfeed.com/e... And I think his choice of words conveyed how offensive misusing "gay" and "fag" can be, much more effectively than my statement did. - April Russo

So, what did he mean by saying "nigger"? - Rahsheen?

Richard, would I think it a little odd? Yes. Would I ask them not to bring up the subject again in front of my 5 year old? Most likely. My 15 year old? I would depend on the point they were trying to make but still on the likely side. Would I automatically think they are themselves a child molestor, punch them in the face and make sure they never came around again. Not unless what they said was something along the lines of them enjoying it. - Tony Miller

I don't know what you mean by what did he mean, but by him using the n-word, proved himself to be an idiot - just like he stated in that Tweet. - Mona Nomura

@Richard you've digressed from the truth, by playing a game with shooting I'm not offending "social "mores" as you call it until I go out & shoot someone as to your claim. Same with using the word "nigger" in Scrabble despite what it means it's a game not REAL LIFE where I would not use it nor go out and massacre people a la a video to game to suggest as much really is the definition of idiocy. - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

Mona, words do indeed mean things. Sentences doubly so. If I use the phrase "load of crap" can one assume with confidence that I have irritable bowel syndrome just by the use of the phrase, or would it depend on which sentence I used it in? - Tony Miller

I think that last point is pretty far beyond anything anyone here is suggesting, I think it's only natural to judge people by the topics they bring up and the words they feel comfortable using, and when. I think it was a stupid choice of kutcher's to use those words to get that message across, and I don't see the apparent necessity some have cited in defending him. I don't have to think he's a racist, or even a closeted one, to (continue to) think of him as an actor only and not a wise social activist. - Richard Lawler

Aight, I think I'm done here. There are just too many comments to scroll through and I don't think we're getting anywere. In parting, I'll point out that I still haven't seen anyone illustrate the point Ashton was trying to make with the same power he was able to put into it. Catch U on the fflipside... - Rahsheen?

Does he need to make that analogy? I said before, I don't think comparing offenses is a good approach to take at all. If using an analogy is some requirement, I don't think putting the words out there makes it more effective, only more controversial, and could give the person a perceived out for their behavior. - Richard Lawler

I define myself by my scrabble words, FYI. In case anyone had ANY doubt. If you want, you can see a game immortalised: http://fairnymph.livejournal.com/9254... - fn (fairnymph)

I can see if he meant "calling every black person a nigger" but to say it like he did makes him "borderline racist" a little - Outsanity

This conversation is starting to sound like a broken record. *lol* - Molly Song ;)

But you have to admit, only on FriendFeed can you talk about 'hot topics' without people resorting to personal attacks. LOVE this place! - Mona Nomura

I was going to post something, but Rah pretty much covered all my bases. - Rob H.

http://dir.salon.com/story... - Hutch Carpenter

that's what i'm sayin richard. why is an analogy even necessary? people ain't really that dumb. they understand the negativity of a word like "fag." it stands on its own without having to pick another negative word to compare it to. could've just said "can we just get it clear, calling someone "gay" or "fag" is derogatory. U look like an idiot when you do it." that would've been just as effective. instead this dude tried pulling something out his pocket that had no business in his moonlighting work - Cee Bee

as a sociologist on twitter. as if his use and comparison with the word "nigger" was the ONLY way to get one's point across in this situation. it was a lazy and base way to get his point across. you don't use one base form of expression to nullify another no matter what the context. - Cee Bee

But then the use of the word "idiot" could have offended someone somewhere that is or knows someone that is mentally retarded, putting us right back to the beginning again, right where we are with his use of the N word. - April Russo

c'mon april be honest. you know that's a hell of a reach - Cee Bee

Why? I do know people that are parents of mentally retarded children that find that word offensive. So it's not that far of a reach. - April Russo

Cee Bee, if this has never been your experience then I envy you. But there are still a lot of people, have been for years, that call people gay or fag in a way meant to convey stupid or weak. And since gay and fag have unfortunately also been used as a pejorative against homosexuals, it ends up sounding like a backhanded way of equating all the terms. So while no one should be called stupid or weak, those words have less social scorn than the former, which are closer to the word that Shall Not Be Named. - Tony Miller

This is like epicly EPIC <;o) love it! - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

OMG @J yeha someone didn't read the linked article... - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

"porch monkey. I'm taking it back!!!" ;) - Terry O'Fee

@Hutch Thanks for the link. Interesting article. - Anne Bouey

Thanks Anne - it's from 2002, but it speaks to a lot of the eradicationist arguments seen here. - Hutch Carpenter

There were eradicationist arguments here? I musta missed them. - Mona Nomura

I don't understand how you can ask me to rewrite a statement I feel is flawed from the beginning, in someone elses voice and somehow seem to you like it has the same "power." I think in 140 characters you can say you don't approve of that behavior, and it has all the power necessary. You don't have to say anything else to get your point across. - Richard Lawler

That's not in any way what I said, I made clear what I felt was flawed with his statement earlier. - Richard Lawler

Seeing as how only one of them is at all relevant to what I just said, I think you know which one. - Richard Lawler

How is using a comparison in order to show a sense of scale not a useful device? To me, hes basically saying " I know you probably use that word all the time to describe people you don't think are macho enough for you, but its really just as bad as one of the most offensive words our society has." Only more concisely and in a way that drives the point home a hell of a lot better. - Tony Miller

You're sure the person he's talking to considers any of those words among the worst our society has, and unacceptable to use? How can you compare them if you don't know how the other person feels about them at all? - Richard Lawler

This thread hurt my head. - Erin @queenofspain

You're right about that. Which is why I said "To me..". Which is why I also think it was better to be a bit more blunt about it. And really, the only thing I am against is the notion that if you use the word in any context whatsoever, that you are also likely to use it as a racial slur as well. That you should be shunned and ridiculed for daring to type out the word to begin with. - Tony Miller

Also, I think that thinking calling someone gay is derogatory is derogatory. - Anthony Citrano

@anthony you're gay :) - sofarsoShawn ~presque...

"ghey" is still perfectly acceptable, right? - Andrew Currie

I started following him based on this tweet. - Jason

I unfollowed him based on this tweet. He's a dolt. - Mattb4rd

People who think poorly about Ashton because of this tweet are far too sensitive. Notice the quotes around "nigger" and note that he's trying to make a point about use of derogatory words. Note that he understands his followers because many of his fans fall into the set of teen/tweens who call everything "gay" and use the word "fag" without remorse or a second thought. Good on him. - EricaJoy

Exactly, Erica. it's like when I called Ashton “retarded”. I definitely did not mean to disparage retarded people. - Anthony Citrano

@loic started this with a script he had built. He unfollowed everyone yesterday and now only is following 22 people. - Robert Scoble

260 more comments

@loic told me it feels like he took a bath. - Robert Scoble

@loic says that having a small number of people he intimately follows lets him build real relationships online again. - Robert Scoble

i just think people shouldnt take all of this so seriously. - Terry O'Fee

@loic says that if you try to follow thousands of people there's no way to see all the tweets. That is true. If I refresh Twitter.com as fast as I can I can't see all the Tweets coming into my account. - Robert Scoble

I have been actively unfollowing--not everyone--but anyone that seems not directly relevant or familiar to me on some level. Twitter has become a far richer experience since employing this technique - Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)

Well how will you will you filter than or get to the things you like? A group of people you follow is in my experience one of the best information filters you can have. - rick

I'm now following just over 100 people anyway - VIVANO

there is more than one way to do twitter. both the @loic and @scobleizer way are right. - Peggy Dolane

Oh, I'm sure it's an annoying mess with about 400 items per minute that mean absolutely nothing to you - Dorian Muthig

i have some really good friends i talk to on a regular basis. some i have conversations with. some proper celebrities because i cant help myself. the rest i suss out. if all they can talk about is ff and twitter, i may unfollow myself. - Terry O'Fee

@loic and I see that there's something new happening. First, search like http://search.twitter.com is totally changing our inbound. Second, using services like friendfeed lets you group and manage large numbers of followers, so you'll still have the inbound, especially as more and more people join both friendfeed and Twitter. - Robert Scoble

instead of unfollowing, I use FriendFeed to filter/group the tweeters according to their priority for me - Alexander Benker

I agree Robert- following folks sometimes can be a total waste of time and waste of twitter. Quality over quantity seems to be the new movement of late and I have to agree fro the most part-I am tired of getting spammed and DMed by spam which we all have to delete. But I have always followed quality- and that is why I am responding to your tweet dude. - DougFirebaugh

Sure when you have the amount of followers that you do and they will just listen it makes sense. But not for the average user of twitter. It's not about just being followed. I think you may have lost touch with the whole thing. You two are in the top 2%. Twitter is a completely different user experience than the other 98%. - JP Holecka - Jaypiddy

So are we calling this Follower Bankruptcy? - Mike Doeff

This one of the reasons to have track, so you can follow your real friends and still discover new people - Christian Burns

Robert, Twitter is a river of 140 char messages. Dive in when you feel like taking a bath. Get out when you had enough. Loic and you should stop whining about the drawbacks after you start following thousands of people ;-) - Alexander van Elsas

let's see robert unfollow everyone in friendfeed too. hah, that'll be the day. - Terry O'Fee

Reuben: I haven't decided to yet, but @loic sure makes a good case for it. - Robert Scoble

IMO, it's not a great idea. People will see this as a negative action toward them and unfollow you. If everybody were to unfollow everybody they know, twitter would become a meaningless array of nothingness. "If it ain't broke, don't unfollow it." - Zerhynn

I have never bought into the mass followers approach and find that I have to find at least 2 or 3 tweets interesting within a page or two, in anybody I would choose to follow. I am interested in connection with people with similar interests and I don't think it makes sense to just build up volume. - Kirti Vashee

There's certainly a buzz around this, we just talked about it on our podcast tonight. What sucks about unfollowing is losing the news-stream of information you're trying to capture--stuff you may not have notice/found. Maybe Twitter should implement groups, a'la tweetdeck? - Paul Salzman

Although I do agree that you do not need to follow thousands of people. - JP Holecka - Jaypiddy

interesting concept - guess that is what I use tweetdeck, friendfeed and socialmedian for to allow me to focus on issues because I carefully selected the people I follow after reviewing their sites I see merit in unfollowing everyone just as I see in using third party apps - it depends on the individuals preferences - Lionel Spearman

It's both good and bad. For one if your reduce the number of people you follow to a minimalistic amount you can build richer and more vibrant relationships with the select few. The bad however is that your world view is now much smaller than what it would have been. I'm actually thinking about unfollowing a mass of people to get back into a manageable range where I can read all of there tweets and then search for anything else. - Jimminy IS Everybody

Why is it a new movement when SM gurus start doing it? I follow those that have similar interest or to learn different point of views. I have no goal to have the most followers or the best twitter grade. Twitter is about the relationships you build. Friends are relationships that I have built over years of trust and loyalty. - Kyle

I would consider it, but I would have trouble shutting out that many. I am following 1000 and being followed by 1500 - Christian Burns

Having just decided to join the follow you movement I think unfollowing everyone is an unfriendly move, why not make a group for the 22 friends you really want to follow:) - Suzie Cheel

Then there are some who follow then unfollow and follow again. lol. - Carolyn Chan

One problem with not following everyone: only people you are following can send you direct messages on Twitter. That's one thing that's keeping me from running @loic's script. @loic points out, though, that most of my DM's are now spam. He's right. - Robert Scoble

I've been speaking about that for a weeks, and applying it, glad it's finally trickling to the a-listers. - Richard A.

So the question is, when will FF get DMs? - Christian Burns

you still have email, robert :P - Terry O'Fee

Not sure I agree. Even with a small "following" I get real nuggets via DMs. Besides - it is rude to mass unfollow :) - Rob La Gesse

I kind of wish I could limit my follows to 150 - Christian Burns

I have been thinking about this a lot. Recently I blogged about how opening up my Facebook to everyone who wanted to connect was not really resulting in meaningful relationships. We don't have the time to be engaged with that many people. We can put content out and discuss when they respond, but to actually use the medium in the way I used to when I had just a couple friends on there is no longer possible with so many people. Likewise, with Twitter. - AV Flox

I won't be sad or hurt if @Scobleizer unfollows me. Frankly, not all my tweets are that relevant to the guy. Just so long as he checks his @replies and answers me every blue moon, that still falls in the category of a good relationship on Twitter. @shelisrael has an unfollow/follow as you go motto described on his blog, it makes sense to me. - Phillip

It was my script. I'm the new guy at seesmic. I wrote it for loic today. if anyone wants it, I've got it. kick this movement into high stream. If you look at the first person in loic's follow list, its me now :-) - Zac Bowling

But Robert, I thought you couldn't check your DM's? I remember seeing quite a few tweets from you saying "DON'T DM ME - EMAIL ME INSTEAD" etc. - Brandon LeBlanc from twhirl

What a load of BS. Do the math. - Stephen Grant-Jones

Since I run much smaller number that Loic & Robert, my systematic subtractive technique works--if I had thousands of spamming DM--I would run Loic's script. - Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)

Brandon: I tried getting people to not send me DMs. Doesn't work. People were trying to do business with them (and still are). It's probably the single reason why I won't run the script. - Robert Scoble

I love the spontaneity and surprise of many friends. I would never give it up. I discover things every day that delight me. - John Kremer

Besides, if I really need to send Scoble a DM I can just call his Cell phone - Christian Burns

A lot of the conversations that are still happening are interesting but the relationships built are no longer as close as they were when I had only a couple of followers. It's funny that you tweeted about only having 150 followers on Friendfeed and that's more conducive to quality relationships. Isn't 150 the Dunbar number? Loic's movement is worth reflecting on. I've been making use of Tweetdeck again to scale down the groups. It's helped but Loic's solution is seductive. - AV Flox

This can be very short sighted. A great way to send the message, I don't want your business or money. - Sylvia Webb

it would almost be a good idea except for one thing - @reply can only be seen by followers. It would be great if this were not the case, and I can see the spam potential if it were, but limiting @reply to followers, if you;re not following anyone, means everyone is in a big room shouting over each other instead of conversing. - Brian Benz

New craze for newbies to twitter, following a small number of people and filter the rest for useful conversations. Quantity is not quality! - Carl Plant

i'm far more suspicious of those following me than i'm concerned about who I follow. I'm always looking to prune my Twitter follows and -- what can I say -- it's hard... lots of people in my twitterfeed tend to add value more often than not! - Andy Sternberg

Also, does this approach not create a new A-list in a different place? - Brian Benz

Just goes to prove that Steve Gillmor is always right, eventually you will see it his way :) - Christian Burns

Do what works for you. If it stops working for you then make a change. I don't think there is any reason for debate here. To each his/her own. - Katherine Druckman

@Robert it isn't possbile to say to people not to use DM. And if you feel like you should build up such a large crowd you follow or that follow you then accept the consequences. You get value because it lets you be an information hub and provides you overall sex appeal in the tech community. In return you will have to accept that people try to get access to you to get back some of that value for themselves or their products. - Alexander van Elsas

if it ain't broke. don't fix it. i wouldn't unfollow everyone but i do find myself filtering more. being open and keeping channels 2 way has allowed me to meet some amazing contacts interested in doing business in China. to unfollow people would be to cut off these channels for me. a lot of these contacts are via DM. everyone's got a different way of using twitter. - Christine Lu

Brian: why? Not sure what you're getting at there. - Robert Scoble

It's not necessary to see all the tweets. You can use Tweetdeck and other services to make sure you don't miss your favorites. I still love the nuggets I discover -- like this post -- that I would not discover if I stopped following so many people. - John Kremer

I can make it easy for @loic. Nuke the account and start over following the 22 people. - Christian Anderson

Am I wrong to say that if you use Twitter search @yourusername you can't see @replies from people NOT following you? I tried it and it seems to work for me. - Phillip

Christine: it's all broken, it's just that I have gotten used to routing around the fail whales and the stream flowing through Tweetdeck. I "media snack" and just sample from the stream flowing by. It doesn't bother me too much either way. I do find that friendfeed is a far better place and it's great to see more and more people discovering that. - Robert Scoble

Phillip: bing! Oh, by the way, I'm following everyone on this thread. :-) - Robert Scoble

Geez, Loic is like the drama queen of the web. - Orli Yakuel

Christian: actually that's probably what I would do if I was tired of a high-flow account: just start a new account with only a few friends and lock down the followers. Maybe that's the solution for true addicts like me. :-) - Robert Scoble

I'm unfollowing everyone on twitter and friendfeed who I don't know personally or isn't local. Sorry peeps, Twitter and friendfeed works best like that. Once I get everything clean, feel free to let me know you're still following me and I'll follow back. - Ⓐ ☠ slayerboy ☠ Ⓐ

Orli: oh, if you can't have some drama what fun is social media? ;-) - Robert Scoble

I have a simple, less radical set of rules: 1) use groups, 2) un-follow anyone who spams you with direct messages and 3) move questions/conversations to friendfeed. - Edwin Khodabakchian

Robert, stay as you are, please. - Orli Yakuel

Orli: don't worry, I'll always follow you. :-) - Robert Scoble

I too use FriendFeed's and TweetDeck's group functions to prioritize the tweets that comes in from my followees. - Vinko

52 pages, 1025 people I follow on twitter. Each one was added by me for a reason. No auto-follow. First person ever followed was Jason Calacanis over two years agao. - Christian Burns

My twitter name is @infoliberation. I find that Twitter is short and sweet and Friendfeed is for a much more robust conversation. I love the marriage of the two. I think Friendfeed is helped greatly by Twitter's jumping off point. What else can you say to that? - Phillip

damn...right when my followership just started taking off. :-( - Jason Salas from IM

I agree with Katherine, to each his own. I've got just a wee 2000 followers, but enjoy popping in to respond to whatever random tweet catches my eye or relevant tweets I've found through saved topic searches. Hey, I even got a new client today - so I'm doing just fine with how things are now. - Cheryl Allin

please people, let's try for tomorrow for a day on this where we dont talk about twitter or friendfeed. there's other stuff to talk about... - Terry O'Fee

Robert, come on... this is not what I'm worried about. I think that you really know most of your friends, or for at least trying to communicate with people you don't know. With Twitter you get to know new friends & content based on the same taste/interests - to follow only people you know, is like taking two steps back. (and thanks for following me!) - Orli Yakuel

Not sure why you would need to unfollow everyone to keep track of what your important people tweet. Just form a group of high-profile folks in TweetDeck and it'll do the same thing, plus you can still follow everyone else for when you want to jump in the stream. - Cory OBrien

i just unfollowed a couple of folks, it's true, we can live without twitter,facebook and friendfeed. How about for lent we give up facebook, twitter and friendfeed? - Dh'ennis Dömingö

Robert - Limiting followers = limiting DMs and replies and tweets you can see from others - In Loic's example 22 invitees (followers) that get to have a seat at the table while the rest of us can watch the action passively. TO me this would be as exciting as C-Span. :) - Brian Benz

I think everyone will find their own Twitter preferences. I'm following 606 right now. In a week or two I may clean out some of the driftwood - people who've gone silent or have switched to topics that aren't interesting, but then I'll add some new folks to make up for it. I don't catch every Tweet, but the stream keeps running. So long as it's populated with interesting folk, the Tweets that I do catch are more likely to be interesting as well. - Heidi Cool

Orli: I've decided that @loic is wrong. But he's also right. Twitter, you see, is really broken for interacting with large numbers of people. Friendfeed is much better. - Robert Scoble

I think Loic let things get out of control. Robert, considering how many followers you have, you seem to be able to manage your account better than anybody. If your truly are looking for a quality experience, you have to decide what works for you. I always thought it was about quality not quantity:-) - Michael Fidler

@loic I think its cool that you rebooted who you follow - Christian Burns

On Pownce I used to try to keep track of all posts (and followed fewer people) but Pownce was more indepth. On Twitter one can glean a lot from just a small percentage of what's there. - Heidi Cool

Robert, with that I agree: FriendFeed is better for long and real conversations. - Orli Yakuel

I agree groups in tweetdeck help you filter very well without missing some occasional random tweets. keeping up with your @replies is more critical than every single tweet. - Alistair (alpinefolk)

Robert - you should unfollow everyone and see what happens. make sure that script stores everyone you are following in a db in case you want to re-follow after the test. - Gerard

While I didn't unfollow everyone, I cut out a lot of who I was following. Might be rude, but it's not meant to be that way. i no longer have the time to follow so many people. - Ⓐ ☠ slayerboy ☠ Ⓐ

Gerard: it would cause too many messages to fly around. People get their feelings hurt if someone unfollows them. - Robert Scoble

If I unfollow people, then I'd be digitally talking to myself. I can do that IRL - Outsanity

My feelings wouldn't be hurt - I'd doubt if I'd even realize it - that's not what I'm using Twitter for - just silly to me. - Cheryl Allin

Outsanity: that's not true. Who you are following is your inbound. You can get inbound other places, like http://search.twitter.com or http://www.twittervision.com - Robert Scoble

Twitter is what you want it to be. That's one of the fascinating things. My own view of it has changed a dozen times since I started. Everyone has their own philosophy about how to use it, and they are all valid. As for me, I'm simply not going to follow anybody who doesn't follow me, and I will follow anybody (as long as they are real) I just unfollowed loic. The World is flat. Will I miss out? Perhaps, but if I want to know what the 'important' people are thinking I can just go to their sites. - Stephen Pickering

Robert: You're currently "following" 69,188 people on Twitter. If one of those people has their feelings hurt because you unfollow them and they no longer have 1/70,000th of your attention, they have a screw loose. - Ken Sheppardson

Twhirl gives you inbound with saved searches, each search a tab stream. I love it. Create a saved search for keyword 'RT' and see what's hot or a saved search like 'chrisbrogan' and follow him and all who @ him. - Cheryl Allin

I say bite the bullet, clear things out, add some searches in Tweetdeck or one of the "track" services, and follow people manually as your real relationships warrant. You can alway run a script to just follow everybody later if you miss the noise. - Ken Sheppardson

Robert: I unfollowed according to three criteria 1. Does the person follow more than a thousand 2. Does the person respond 3. does the person tweet links and RT rather than content, the fourth is whether you're unlucky enough to tweet when I'm in unfollow mode. Result: A more social timeline. - Richard A.

Sounds like Loic needs to fix Twhirl to manage his followers better. He doesn't have to pay attention to every single one, but he does need a way to build relationships with those he wants to. Twhirl is horrible at this. - Jesse Stay

@Jesse Stay, I use twhirl and it's fine for what I do, but that's because I culled my follow list removing all those that aren't active conversationalists. - Richard A.

Reuben, My timeline is far more fun now as a result :-). Took a few experiments to find the right method though. - Richard A.

At a certain point if you had autofollow on you have no choice but to start over because a) you can follow the number of tweets and b) you will stress the Twitter servers out. - Jason Calacanis

Reuben. I don't use auto follow, For me to follow someone new I want to see how converstional they are first. That's when I might consider them on twitter. - Richard A.

Robert: Is this the flip side of what Jason and Michael were taking you to task on a few weeks back on GG? Is it time to do more meaningful *listening*? - Ken Sheppardson

Robert: I 'think' I was the first person with over 20k followers to do this. Though in my case, I totally reset my account - zero following / zero followers. http://jimsmarketingblog.com/2009... it has been a universally great experience to me and massively increased the value of Twitter to me. - Jim Connolly

Ken: yes, I think this has a big part to do with addiction too. You keep trying to follow more and more until you snap. - Robert Scoble

An interesting idea, as I have found I have followers but a very select few who actually respond regularly, I wonder if it is matter of depersonalization, losing what it once represented as a means to an end. Certainly it could be a good idea, but many of those who I have found were those who had spoke on something of interest in the wide swath of sea that is twitter. So I will consider it, but am not sure if there will be follow through anytime soon. Though I guess it would depend also on how effective. - Raymond Marr aka Knatchwa

As someone has probably already pointed out in a more eloquent fashion, Loic's company makes a Twitter client. Surely he should build tools into that client to make the overload problem more manageable and certainly not try to set a trend of "hey it's cool to unfollow lots of people now". That sort of sends the wrong message to people about your company and it's thinking. - Pete Gilbert

I don’t see how this is even an idea to be considered. If we unfollow everybody and everybody else unfollows the rest, then Twitter will become a very lonely place. Boring place with no use what so ever… I strongly disagree with this. - Spyros Papaspyropoulos

This the Loic Le Meur trend he catch big head, because he is personnal friend of Sarkozy , the small napoleon - Yann from twhirl

agreed @peter, it's nonsense, companywise, to promote that kind of message when you try to spread your twitter tool.Anyway, I think it's more a trend problem, the 2009 fashion is to unfollow everyone and @loic cannot do unfashioned thing because this is how he builds his reputation and his company notoriety.Dommage... - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

There is no point being on twitter if your purpose is to broadcast. For broadcasting blogs and other platforms are more interesting. If you take dialogue away from twitter you undermine the most active members of the community because they will feel people are using the site too passively. Why do you think social networks fail, lack of involvment. At least by reducing the number of people you follow you increase engagement on a per person basis. It becomes personal once more. - Richard A.

@ J-C verde, as you said is dommage, Loic catch the big head , i guess when he will realize that will be too late - Yann from twhirl

It's beginning to feel like the @1938media technique--in reverse--sans personality shift. Loic will now certainly be the topic of many blog posts in the next day or two. - Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)

Spyros: totally wrong. We'd still be here at friendfeed and http://search.twitter.com would still show us other people. - Robert Scoble

@Robert and what is the criteria to detect people in such a huge stream? Come on, this is a network thing: you follow someone because someone else you share interest with has followed him, much more than picking up in twitter "all" stream... - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

Jean: I am very adept at scrolling through a huge list of names and telling you something about most of them. Friendfeed is where I spend most of my time, though. - Robert Scoble

GREAT idea Loic, way to prove your software really can't handle the numbers. This is a weird move from a very smart man. - Jim Connolly

Understand, Robert, but I think that setting up filters (like you did) is a better way than unfollowing people, which seems to be a "2009 trend" with no real reason, even more when you promote a twitter tool.You barely say "my tool suck, so I can't do anything but unfollow you'.Bad move, IMO. - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

I think Loic displayed a certain degree of immaturity in handling twitter as a tool. It is as overdone to follow everyone as it is to unfollow radically. Inspired by the debate, I felt a bit like Moses today ( ;-) ), and subsequently assembled bloggi's Ten Commandments of Twitter: http://bit.ly/ten-commandments - Mark Jacobs

Jean: agreed. I like friendfeed as an answer a lot more. Just open up a list and put the people you want to really follow in there and keep everyone else out. - Robert Scoble

for the one devellop a twitter tool like Twhirl , i admit is a strange behavior, maybe is normal he is french - Yann from twhirl

@yann I'm also french and I don't understand too. - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

As Twitter's user numbers have INCREASED it's usability (to me) has DECREASED. Is it just me? - Jim Connolly

I can understand Loic's reasons, but I don't agree with it. I don't personally know 95% of the people I follow on twitter. It is however neither relevant nor important for that to be a pre-requisite to starting an interesting conversation. I don't auto follow people and i only pay attention to whoever I want to irrespective of the number of people i am subscribed to. Moreover, a large number of people have occasional sparks of interestingness. So if one can learn to ignore; the more the better. - Parth Awasthi

@Jim_Connolly It is the old law of decreasing returns when new media trivialize. But usually, I am pretty untouched by it since (having been around since February 2007 in twitter) I only follow some 350 people to this day. So I get a good result from my circle of followees. Also, I try to give by helping out new twitter users who have questions. - Mark Jacobs

@Parth_Awasthi I think, lioc created a big mess by first auto following, and now seeing no other way out than to unfollow. Somehow, it makes me giggle a bit :-) - Mark Jacobs

You guys have way too much free time on your hands with this nonsense. - Wayne Schulz

Too much drama. It's funny how many social networks bemoan lack of users and with Twitter, the opposite problem is the subject of complaints - "there's too many bots and DMs! oh my!" Bleh. - Eric Gonzalez

hey guy don't confuse is only one Guy got the big head this is not a trend - Yann from twhirl

I really don't share opinion about Loic putting this on a personal way. This is a strategy mistake (company-wise), a trend mistake (2009-ish fashion)...But not a big head problem. Loic had thousands reasons to have a huge head issue before and did not, so I don't see why it would be the case now - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

this become a hot topic, maybe to much for that - Yann from twhirl

at always promote himself as rock Star , finally he catch the big head - Yann from twhirl

Robert Scoble: What about the people that are using only Twitter? What about the ones that don't use FriendFeed? Ok, we might be crazy having many many accounts on most of all social platforms, but other only use one or two. By unfollowing everyone, there is no Twitter as Mark Fletcher said. - Spyros Papaspyropoulos

I'd agree with someone earlier Loic wants to keep his followers but follow less bet he wouldn't have started that policy at the beginning otherwise he would have a few k followers at most! If he had real balls then he would delete his account like @jimconnolly did and start fresh but he wont as he still wants to 'use' the big following he has, talk about one way! - roger byrne

don't have to start unfollowing anyone as i didn't start following everyone in the first place.. never really understood the auto-following of twitterers i started following.. you've got twittersearch to find people with common interests.. - Johannan Edelman

@scobleizer @loic So much as issues matter, people also matter. Unfollowing people because there is an alternative way to search for issues or interests is limiting the scope to generate them in the first place. Following more people signals belongingness and interests or issues heard. On the other hand, small followings signals selfishness and is the same as 'greed is good'. - Moses Kpetigo

Interesting: so would @loic also encourage all his followers to stop following him? so he could stick with his few twitter fellows? If I remember, he was the one all about numbers and authority. It seems like, once you've reached enough, you're safe ppl will follow you no matter what, you have good "authority" and then you can unfollow all the mass and become a Twitter snob? It sounds too much like a strategy to me. In which he succeed, no doubt. Will he lose credibility? I wonder. - May

I like Robert's snack analogy: I consider Twitter as a news source roughly tuned to my general interests via who I decided to follow. In this respect I could follow lots of people, since it makes sure that each time I go to Twitter, I will find something interesting to me. I know I won't be able to read everything, but I don't care, it's just like in a book store I know I can't read all the books, but I like to sample in the sci-fi shelves - Antoine Bertier

@loic is becoming way too elitist lately. i didn't hear him complaining when he was following thousands of people to promote seesmic! - Alensa

@antoine Exactly right imho most have never claimed and quite the opposite actually specified they don't/can't read every tweet but when they are on they are on and dip into the party! Loics party just got real small! ;) - roger byrne

while search.twitter.com is useful, twitter puts you on the front of the wave not searching to catch up afterwards - Mark Parssey

i constantly wonder how you keep up with sooooo many followers. doesn't it drive you nuts???? - Francisco Kemeny

My twitterverse contains people I pay attention to, people that I have so I can search and some that I just follow for a moment and then remove. - Josef Finsel from twhirl

Human attention spans (and time) are limited. Twitter and IMing are a large 'experiment' , still a work in progress--the jury is out! - JimmyJet

If you have so many followers that you have to unfollow because you didn't follow based on what the people were saying, but instead followed to up your "network", then Twitter probably isn't the venue for you. Check out MySpace and do that... - Nicki Laycoax

*yawn* what's new here? nothing. @fidlr and others started the twexpire type experiments (look up the script if you care) long ago; not loic or scoble. i specified the #egosphere vs. #cognosphere usage scenarios long ago. @JimmyJet and @DidierLahely sum it up well. In another sense, all of this is IRC and Usenet for dummies. - michael silverton

it's a good exercise to see how much you really miss the tweets of those you unfollow. And also see how many of them will remain followers after you unfollow. - Mihai Secasiu

I'd argue that having 23k followers is 'doing it wrong' & you should unfollow and start over. I follow 329 right now and the signal-to-noise ratio is manageable. It's a mix of people I know intimately, casually and professionally, and that's where I have the conversations and relationship-building. Next is a handful of news and interesting/high # of followers people. Then, a few individuals with similar numbers as me I found interesting, which has allowed for Twitter-specific relationship-building. - Laura Hall

I agree with @Johannan Edelman I have never used the autofollow function and have felt those I do follow provide value to me. - Jill Howard Allen

As an additional note, if I were to increase my activity and wanted to manage those relationships, I'd start doing filtered lists. - Laura Hall

Groups/filteting seems to be a more sensible and positive sltuion to the "too many followers" problem. eh. - Doug Haslam from twhirl

It's nice that people find what works for them, but there is no "doin' it wrong" There is only "doin it with clue" or "doin it clueless" ... if one doesn't know WHY one is doin' it, no life coach, guru, or A-lister can help. Form your own experiments and execute them. You need no approval or permission from any seeming authority figure. Look up #cognosophere and #egosophere if you care. P.S. PeopleBrowsr breaks ALL these assumptions; it's a completely new kind of literacy beyond Twitter and Friendfeed. - michael silverton

Loic forgot how he use Twitter for promte seesmic ...... why not unfollow him too ?? - Yann from twhirl

I guess I just like to see what people are up to. Isn't that what it was all about before the marketing types took over? Now it's about "getting value" and "managing relationships". I joined so I could tell people what I was having for lunch. - Shawn Farner

I like being in your Twitter stream, I like the idea that thought leaders and influential people like yourself occasionally get to read my updates. You know, once in a blue moon I come up with a great idea, and it's cool to know that in turn this might just inspire Scoble, or Fry for that matter, too. - Terje Fjelde

On the other hand I hate reading about strangers "spending the entire day in bed" or "being bored," so I only follow people who add quality updates on my own account - Terje Fjelde

the main issue comes from the fact Twitter does not help users follow and decide efficiently on new followers. Robert if you are interested we have created a new service called Topify.com. if you are interested i ll drop you an invite - Ouriel Ohayon

Twitter has provide me a way to build a network of people and experts very quickly in fields where I previously did not have contacts or experience. To blanket unfollow would be like cutting my nose off in spite of my face. - Stephen Terlizzi

How will this help...what will it do? - John Flynn

ouriel: sure, send it to scobleizer@gmail.com - Robert Scoble

robert: you ll get it in a few days, just after we migrated servers. i am sure you ll love it :) - Ouriel Ohayon

That's not new. Loic didn't start a trend. I've only bee using these services since May and I've done it on several occasions and not just on Twitter. Several people have. - Anika

I did that for a while on my first (now private/personal) account, and found myself going to 5-6 follower's Twitter pages to read the news (ala RSS reader days) a couple of times a day. Now that I have a public account, I creeped up to 75-100 again but am consciously rotating folks in and out of my "Top 50." My Twitterstream is like a living, breathing being, I guess! But by intensely following different people at different times, I learn something new and can move on. It's quality, not quantity. - travelninja

Robert - the idea of reducing who you actively follow and relying more on search notifications is the premise of this post: "2009 Prediction: As Social Connections Reduce, Keyword Tracking Increases" http://bit.ly/hfQq - Hutch Carpenter

Chris: on friendfeed just stick the people you want to rarely follow into a list, or do what I did: put the people you REALLY want to follow into a list and read that everyday. That way you'll still have the massive inflows somewhere else when you want those too. - Robert Scoble

Chris: there is something to that, by the way. But you've only touched the surface of the breakage that happened the past month. Go deeper there and you will find the truth. - Robert Scoble

Chris - Lists have answered this quandary for me. The bacon memes are fun, but I didn't want them filling up my main feed. And during the day, I have a professional need to focus on the world of e2.0. Lists really do serve the purpose Loic set out to accomplish. - Hutch Carpenter

unfollow everyone on twitter, FB and every other social network. UK scientists sez that these SN sites actually rewires the nueural network within the brain and thereby making an individual more selfish and self centered. Thus cause pyschological damage to themselves.. :(- (p.s Link will follow- I just heard it this AM on FM while communting to work !!) - Peter Dawson

Chris: even the petty ones are deeper if you dig beyond the ego damage. - Robert Scoble

Bad thing, and if you do it, you will confirm that you A-listers only exploited social media as your broadcasting tool for your own political agenda and not as a true conversation. - Prokofy Neva

I got over the ego damage quickly cause # of followers never did matter. But what remains? Twitter has harmed its community. This is an easy mistake to make and it's one that comes out of @ev and @biz's arrogance. They rarely use their own tools, by the way. Look at @ev's account and tell me he's really a great Twitterer that talks with tons of people. He does not. - Robert Scoble

What's even funnier is that the guy who actually came up with the idea for Twitter, @noah, is not one of the suggested followers while other people on the team are. I should write a book about how funny this all is. - Robert Scoble

@loic seems to have quit over inane DM spam thanking for following, etc. Is there no way to stop automated use of the tools? - Prokofy Neva

Prokofy: that's not really a good reason to follow everyone. But there are plenty of other good reasons, so I keep doing it. @Ryo you're off the rails. Get back on track. You're close to the track, but not on it. - Robert Scoble

BS meme! the unfollowers just want to blast their mouths off and not listen to what others have to say - DC Crowley

Prokofy: no. Twitter's DM feature really sucks. It always has. I just use it because everyone else wants to. - Robert Scoble

Twitter's DM is a reinvention of a wheel named EMAILS. - directeur

directeur: only done in the most lame way possible. - Robert Scoble

Much like the FF comment system is a reinvention of vBulletin/phpBB, done in the most lame way possible. - Ken Sheppardson

Lame? I like it. - coldbrew

Everything is a reinvention of Usenet or E-mail, or N. Just like everything on the Internet is a repost of a repost. - Sam Levine

Let's play this out...if everyone unfollowed a significant % of those whom they don't care about...then it would INCREASE the ability to communicate with those they do care about without all the noise. I'm sure we would all agree this is a good thing. However, if we were to unfollow EVERYONE...are we little more than individual broadcasters that never allow for a two way dialogue? This would dramatically change the landscape of Twitter because a profound hierarchy would emerge: "follows" and "follow-nots" - Drew Sams

Drew, I've been writing about that topic for a while now, but especially in recent weeks with the influx of new twitter users who don't attempt to converse yet. - Richard A.

Don't you think it has incremental feature improvements each time though, Levine? - coldbrew

Depending on how you use FF, it is much like IRC combined w/ Usenet - coldbrew

Richard: most new twitter accounts I'm seeing lately are bots. Not real users and provably so. Real users display random behavior. The new accounts do not. Humans are never consistent. - Robert Scoble

Maybe they had a falling out and Noah is no longer welcome? - Tony C

Richard, thanks for sharing...this has been a topic I'm really interested in. I'll head over to your blog and check out what you've written. Cheers! - Drew Sams

One way in which the FF comment system is lame: comments on Scoble threads move so fast that in the time I've typed this, there will probably be five other new comments. Yet FF will chose to hide some of them and instead say "20x more comments". When I click on that, the thread expands into 5+ pages of comments, and I have to scroll down and try to remember what I saw last. Lack of read/unread status and/or visible (non-mouseover) timestamps are pretty significant time sinks/inefficiencies. - Ken Sheppardson

Enough off-topic. I think this is ironic on a number of levels: - coldbrew

A way to think about Loic. There are a lot of gamers who follow huge numbers, then unfollow massively to look A-List. Loic is A-List. But even so, ask yourself what *you've* gotten from Loic. If you can't answer that question, your unfollow decision should be clear. - Hutch Carpenter

Matthew: Workin' on it :-) Coldbrew: Who appointed you guy who gets to decide what's off-/on-topic? ;-) - Ken Sheppardson

Sheppardson, not sure. Just using the convention of looking at the post title. Do you have another metric by which to judge objectively?\ - coldbrew

There's the 1st piece of irony, DeVries, " There are tools to filter and refine your communication with Twitter and Friendfeed." Le Meur's company, Seesmic, makes one of them, but it can't do its job ;-) - coldbrew

coldbrew: I'd explain, but that'd be off topic :-P - Ken Sheppardson

2nd piece of irony comes from the fact that Scoble is disseminating it, but he seems to be keeping a very objective stance, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Le Meur's justifications for his actions. - coldbrew

Scoble, of course, is "well known" for following so many people all over the ecoshpere [edit: and that is ironic to me] - coldbrew

I find the trend puzzling especially (as @Jim Connolly pointed out) when it's someone like Loic who actually built a tool to help bring method to this madness. Robert, you make it seem so easy and I am in awe as to how you manage to respond to thousands of your followers, both here and on Twitter. It's obvious that not everyone can do it, it's probably getting overwhelming for some. - MiaD

Matthew: TOTALLY agree with you. I probably wasn't the clearest in my comment above. While I choose to unfollow bots and spammers, I prefer to use tools like Tweetdeck and others to filter conversations. The second half of my comment is what I think will happen if we go the nuclear route: Social media will just become a marketplace where ideas are broadcasted but never sharpened through the dialogue process...I don't want another place where ideas and products are hawked at me without my ability to dialogue - Drew Sams

Well played, Sheppardson. - coldbrew

Anyway, promiscuity in public isn't good? - coldbrew

Unfollowing enmasse isn't good business. GKawasaki "gets" Twitter. @Loic either doesn't get it or doesn't know what 2 do with it. I unfollowed him back. - Now Voyager

first the morons were all bout braggin bout how many followers they had, now they realize "oh shit, I can't figure out who said what and when" so now they get to un-follow & that is news. Give me a fucking break, follow or don't follow for the right reasons.In reality at the most people can have 300 odd relationships with people and sustain it beyond that it is just Hello and good bye and that's about it. - Baba

"I unfollowed him back" Oh did ya' now? - coldbrew

This is like watching a movie about a young passionate teen as he slogs his way the the world, making mistakes, and learning right before your eyes. - coldbrew

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Unfollowing is always an option, but why do it without criteria??? - Jorge Martins Rosa

I could clean up a little, but I like following several hundred. I started in 2006 by following the broadcasters and some of the people that followed them and that they followed. I've slowly increased the number I follow since then. Some days I add about a dozen and unfollow about eight. I like to slowly see what people are saying, participate a little and really meet people. I can manage following hundreds. - Bill

this is you invite people in you're house and studently you kick everybody out without reasons, i remenber when L L M always ask to be followed on twitter . anyway i also kick out from every where and delete my seemsic account .................... some french people when they become famous they got big head - Yann from twhirl

Not sure I agree with @loic but have been thinking the same. The relity is you can only carry relevant conversations with a limited number of people. - RicardoSilva

I think you should do it. Just look at that number. 69,394. It does no good to follow that many people. Wipe the slate clean. - techky

I really think Twitter should have group and thread (at least one level) - Jeremy Chone

I found the original mail on the twitter-dev list:So I have kind of weird request. My boss, who is following 24,386 people (and has 22,752 followers) came to me and wanted me to hack something to wipe out all the people he follows so he can start clean again for various reasons. I'm curious if there is any tools internally at twitter that could help with this maybe because this seems to... more... - Daniel W. Crompton

It's insanely easy to "follow" lots of people. With groups and search in Tweetdeck (sorry @loic) and filters plus tag-focusing services like Twitterfall, I can now focus attention on a "slice" (i.e., a window pane or dialog box). It is very rare that I look at an unfiltered stream. I am almost always looking at a refined view of the entire stream. It kind of reminds me of the Matrix. The "operators" were able to see small nuances in the unadulterated feed. - Lorin Olsen

Nevertheless, I am intrigued by reducing the number of people I follow. I want to have "intimate" conversations and not just blast tones into an echo chamber. In fairness, that is one of the reasons I am doing more in Friendfeed. - Lorin Olsen

I think it may be good if people with large followings and who follow a lot of people had two Twitter accounts. One for broadcasting and having the ability to DM many people in your network and the second one solely for listening to quality and engaging with your core network. Doing this may solve the problems referred to above. - Bill Romanos

@Hutch is quite correct in saying "ask yourself what *you've* gotten from Loic. If you can't answer that question, your unfollow decision should be clear." Exactly!! that should be the criteria for everyone, A-list or not. I've unfollowed some "A-listers" who are focused on things which don't tickle my fancy. Nothing personal of course, the goal is to get focused. - Eric Gonzalez

By the way, I don't mind an unfollow, but what's up with the "tell me why I should follow you back?" business. Doesn't that seem odd? - Eric Gonzalez

what is this twitter of which you speak? - mike "glemak" dunn

Mike, I assume you are not following anybody so you don't need not to take any action. The proposed procedures only concern people who follow somebody else on this thing called Twitter. :-) - Tapio Kulmala

is there an auto unfollow ? - Antoine Bertier

Antoine, No. There was once a rumor that they have tested auto-unfollow in their lab. The performance testing results were alarming. They noticed that they should get rid of 90% of their servers in 2 weeks. The CFO decided that they could not afford that kind of capital losses. - Tapio Kulmala

I just went through my follows on Twitter and removed a bunch of people I'd never heard of before. I forgot I had signed up with socialtoo.com when Scoble mentioned it and it's all turned off now anyway. We'll see later if my own followers suddenly will now go away cause they're using the same type of tools. - Paul Wade

People feel slighted when unfollowed - decidedly unsocial. And with tools like Tweetdeck and peoplebrowsr allowing you to create groups (i.e. 'core people', or 'people I know' etc), there's no reason why you can't continue to follow loads of people and focus in on the ones who matter to you. It's social to follow back, and helps build relationships, but that doesn't mean you can't focus on the people who matter to you - there are tools. - Tom Beardshaw

I even had someone I'd met (and we'd made friends on Facebook) unfollow me then add me to a "<name>monitor" twitter account, saying "this is the account I use to keep track of a wider network" - which pretty much tells you they're not paying any attention to you at all. I promptly unfollowed him. Social is multidirectional relationships - I don't like one way relationships - they're bad for your health! I follow everyone who follows me unless they're trying to sell me something - Tom Beardshaw

loic did a reverse feldman trick http://twitpic.com/1nx2l - henry michel from twhirl

So that's what happened--Loic unfollowed and then refollowed me.;-) Someone constantly keeps doing that on my FB acct., too. I must say, the more followers I get lately who are trying to tell me about how to use social media and internet marketing to get rich, the more this option sounds good. Way too many spammers lately, or just folks who aren't bothering to find out about who you really are and how to have a conversation. Ugh. - Cathryn Hrudicka

Loic method may have been extreme, but I understand where it is coming from, at a certain number, its hard to follow who you are interested in and maybe starting over again is the way to go.. I actually created a second twitter account just for companies and organizations, because I was noticing they were taking over my original account. - Kim Landwehr

Well - Loic simply has one big problem: He doesn´t use Tweetdeck and the Group feature! LOL - Dieter Schwarz

OMG huston we have a problum - Victor Lee Squire

I've already noticed a drop in my followers number. Doesn't matter to me though. - Paul Wade

Drop in follower, but any increase in participation. That's why I unfollowed so many. - Richard A.

With tools such as TweetDeck I can setup groups and searches for those tweets I care about the most. Makes number of following irrelevant. - Robert J Taylor

I give me a chance. follow them for bit see if there interact post anything of value reply to my tweets . If not its just pointless. - John Cusick

That may work for the twitter elite, but for users like me, it defeats the point of twitter, which is to build community by networking. - Kelly

My comment is ...I have no comment :)) - SRivera

I semi regularly prune for my following list for relevance (for multiple values of relevance) - Alec Clews

Terrible idea unless you want to experience true hermit status through the rate of being unfollowed prior to deleting your account. - Roney Smith

Loic Le Merde is a pompous French whiny assehole LooooooooooooooooooooooooL - Yann from twhirl

I have always kept a limited number of people I follow. The noise level has been very manageable. T is only one of the conduits for info. - Dave Ploch

thats retarded - tommy payne from twhirl

Like Dave, I'm careful about who I follow in the first place, and I've only had to unfollow a couple of people who got out of hand. - Julie Barrett from twhirl

I'm a careful user, and this realm showed me how people can react rapidly to certain things. I've been unfollowed more than I did unfollow. Note that I'm a curious type of guy and love discovering things in everyone. I think that can be a good thing for those whose critical to the point of stopping everything second to witness being too much analyzing those to unfollow. Else, why be that critical to the point of massive cleaning? Is digital managing difficult and tiring for some? Reminds me: GReader refresh - Zu from AOD

I got 0 value out of following @loic, so I lost nothing. I also unfollowed. - Mike Lewis

I can do the same thing via a Favorite list in FriendFeed. - Bill Bittner

my god the annoying post that never ends!! :P hahah - Terry O'Fee

Time, there is not enough time to follow everyone. It has to be narrowed at some point to still be productive in your business. I do not mind visiting a stream and subscribing..just like I do not mind unsubscribing. Just doing a total following everyone or not following anyone is absurd. - Brian McClure

At the moment this post has close to 400 likes plus comments. Which provokes the thought: rank Friendfeed posts by likes plus comments (for the total life of Friendfeed). Might be interesting. - Sean McBride

I deleted 700+ people just two weeks ago and it was the most FUN I have had on Twitter in 6 months. - Daniel Zarick

the one unfollow everyone help him to promote is business and push all follower to create a buzz , and decide when he have acheive is target , just take himself as Guru but in fact that will return straight on his face , he will kick out by the community ..... - Yann from twhirl

[∞][twitter needs to make an second time line to US [...] so, we got one to friends and other to network ][ I have 2 accounts to do this] - dbalieiro

Similar to the concept of declaring e-mail bankruptcy. - David Pappas

Then it becomes a broadcast, not an exchange. How about unfollow everyone that doesn't add value to your life. - Martha

Wow, that is interesting timing. Is it spring cleaning time for everyone or what? - Ken Stewart | ChangeForge

At least once a week I go through several pages of twitter stream and take a look at everyone on it. I end up unfollowing at least five or six people. I still have hundreds, but it's much less than I would otherwise. - Sandra Fernandez

as for me, good reasons for unfollowing are ppl following you then unfollowing you immediately, or people not posting in ages, or people where after a while you see having absolutely no exchange on any subject or no common interest. I try to keep my following list clear under these criteria to avoid a bloated following list - Jean-Charles VERDIE from twhirl

i prune my list every few weeks and add and delete, keeps it fresher - susan mernit

I only follow a few people anyway. The "follow everyone you don't know" thing always seemed crazy to me. - TranceMist

I have no plans of unfollowing any of the people I follow. My setup fits my marketing strategy just fine.. Don't need to jump on the bandwagon. That's the beauty of twitter... do what works for you!! - Jim Turner

The best tool I've found for getting the most out of twitter is Tweetdeck. Set up groups to stay on top of the conversations generated by the folks you're the closest to. - Jim Turner

I do a combination of things. I've always been selective about who I follow; if anyone gets to noisy I unfollow them; I filter it through my FriendFeed; I have specific lists set-up in Friend-Feed (even one for "chatter"); I grab the rss feeds for the Friend-Feed lists I want to focus on and have those directly imported into the RSS feed section of my email client (Thunderbird at the moment.) My email feeds have folders and message filtering rules set-up to move everything to the appropriate sub-folders. - Gail Guy

... I can then quickly identify and scan my favorites, but best of all, I can use my email client functions to "tag" a message a certain color or "star" it as a favorite -- making it easy to find and review at a later time. - Gail Guy

I think this is brilliant. Curbs the spammers, takes away some incentive from the fakes and keeps Twitter honest. More of my thoughts http://tr.im/gMZ8 - Chris Leonard

As soon as I got Tweetdeck I started following by subject instead of by the person. - Carl Pruitt

snerk - Cyndy

3 more comments

I can't help it. It's my job in life to bust his chops. - Erin @queenofspain

his chops? - Doug Haslam from twhirl

Erin, feel free to point him to my rant with directions to "look in mirror rather than navel" - Cyndy

will do. will do. - Erin @queenofspain

alright, I'm in. - Jim #TeamMonique

13 more comments

Yay, christine. but you don't have to look like, "Why am I doing this?" - Anika

O HAI Christine! :) - AJ Batac

HAI Christine! - Mona Nomura

You look completely disinterested with the meme. :-P - Mattie Kenny

Hola Christine! - JA Castillo

Bonsoir Christine! :) - directeur from NoiseRiver

LOL! I'm completely disinterested in looking tired on teh interwebz. But ya know, the theme for today is "FOLLOW to be DIFFERENT" - Christine Cavalier

Just realized I'm naked in this pic. - Christine Cavalier

http://flickr.com/photos... - Steve Garfield

Another shirtless Rah meme follower, huh??? - Lindsay

Wait, Lindsay, is this a cult? - Christine Cavalier

You'll have to ask Mona about the cult thing... she wrote a whole blog entry about it. :) - Lindsay

Forget about the cult thing! where's the shirt!?? :) - directeur from NoiseRiver

nekkid! 8o - Anika

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