Twitter: Unintended Consequences

Image via CrunchBase

A couple of months ago, someone to whom I'm connected on Facebook mentioned that I over ran their home page with Twitter updates the last time I was at a conference.

I tend to take conference notes on Twitter.   When I had Twitter feed Facebook updates, my status was being updated every couple of minutes.  It had never occurred to me that I was monopolizing my friends' Facebook home pages!

When I started to look for a way to selectively update Facebook, but still use Twitter the way I wanted to use it, I consulted several of my Twitter connections.

Most of them weren't aware of a solution. 

What really surprised me was that they also said not to worry about it.

I learned two things from this:

1. Experimentation with new things often has unintended consequences.  They may be good or bad, but we should be looking for them.
2. If we're not careful our advocacy of a product, feature, platform (fill in the blank) will actually turn people off, rather than stimulate their interest.  Ignoring feedback is never a good idea.
   

If you're having the same issue I was with updates, there is an application that enables selective Twitter updates to Facebook.  I started using it during Web 2.0 Expo and it works perfectly for me.

PS Someone else (not the source of the original feedback) recently thanked me for updating Facebook more judiciously.

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Comments

[ann michael]

Hi Alex!

Nice to "see" you! I loved looking back at the pictures too - thanks for the link!

Ann

[Alex Shalman]

Hello pretty lady. I haven't heard from you in awhile. I was looking over SOBCon pics (in order to tell my friend that's going this year what people wear to this thing), and saw an old comment you left me.

http://www.alexshalman.com/2007/06/06/sobcon-pictures-and-links/

Don't be a stranger. Say hi to me on twitter @alexshalman

[ann michael]

What a great point Hayli!

I usually turn my ringer/sounds off after around 10pm, but there have been times I've forgotten and been woken up by email or even texts!

[Hayli @ Transition Concierge]

Another unintended consequence of technology: E-mail pings on the Blackberry. The "Crackberries" of the world often keep the phone by their bed, so e-mailing at night or the wee morning hours can really leave a bad impression. I only thought of this after a web designer friend received a scathing phone call from a client in response to a late-night e-mail that contained a simple customer satisfaction survey. My friend got his feedback, but it wasn't what he expected!

[Karin H.]

Nah, 'cos not ;-)

Karin H

[ann michael]

Ooops, hope I wasn't one of them ;-)

[Karin H.]

Hi Ann

Glad to see there is a better FB app for this, I started to 'hide' various FB contacts because the constant 'avalanche' of tweets in FB.
Now I know where to (gently) nudge them to

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)