Slanderer's List
{ Tags: Marketing, Twitter \ Oct30 }
I just sent out a tweet that got me thinking:
Wondering when the downside to lists will come: Suppose I created a list called “Zipperheads” or “Dumb People”… might cause a stir
Twitter just released the List function to all (or most) users, and people are busy playing with the feature, constructing new lists from the people they’re following. So far it seems to be a big hit with users, who are generally constructing subsets of other users based on what they tweet about, where they live, or generally positive attributes. But what happens when people use the Twitter list function to slam other users and/or brands in the social media space?
Is it so far fetched to think that, for example, a power user with hundreds of thousands of followers would put together a list called “Brands that Suck” or that a list called “Suspected Terrorist Sympathizers”? Aside from the personal affronts possible, what does this new feature mean for your brand? Hopefully Twitter users will only use their new-found power for good, but anyone who’s been on the intertubez for more than 10 minutes knows there will be some who will use it for “evil.”
In the mean time, I’m off to finish my list of zipperheads…
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Kristof
You make a very valid point and it’s not a matter of “if” as it is “when”.
And I wouldn’t quote this is it wasn’t so appropriate; “With great power comes great responsibility”.
In order to avoid and counter the misguided actions of those who choose to do harm, Twitter should give users the ability to remove their username from a list. Even allow them to report the list as spam – just as they would a user tweeting meaningless sales links.
michaelconaty
The whole “your brand on Twitter” thing has gotten much more interesting, no? You bring up another good point, how long before the spammers find a way to take advantage of the List feature?
Great ideas about letting you opt-out of being on any given list, but Twitter has never been preemptive in introducing features, and I”m afraid it will take a major incident, probably involving a national brand or celebrity to get something like that implemented.
Ivan Walsh
I have one called RedHeads.
All mt fav people go in there, redhead or not!