Pied Pipers?
Like Me! Friend Me! Follow Back! ( "Rank Me, Rank Me, Dammit!!" )
I referred a mate to WAU a week or so ago.
Before he'd even got his profile pic up, I received an email from him asking: "Why have all these people started *following* me? I haven't done anything yet!".
So, I snuck a look at his followers.
A few of them were obviously "scummy", from people following anyone and everyone because they had a scam technique or "proposal" in mind. One of them had already been banned by the time I glanced at his profile.
However, I did notice that some of the community are following 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, even 40,000+ other Members. I can only imagine that's why Muffin blogged about being overwhelmed by email notifications earlier today!
I raised the question of "following vs. followed" in chat and got answers ranging from, "It's a hangover from Facebook, Twitter, et al.", to "I'm interested in everyone.", and even one along the lines of "It's just a way people game the system, along with commenting in profiles, to try and up their own ranking.". I trust the latter isn't really a reason for following en-masse?
I must confess, in the interests of transparency, I also learned that amongst my fellow Eurotrash contingent, a follow from Steve is considered the absolute ultimate accolade. His follow-to-followed ratio is 1-100, and only 72 Members have received such acclaim and benediction in the last 4 years.
Is that "scarlet" woman flirting with you actually another boy?!I'm now curious, because I've only ever followed someone whose experiences I'm genuinely interested in, or occasionally just because their weird ramblings provide sheer entertainment value.
Yes, Yes. If you PM me, I'll let you know which-is-which!
Oh, and I certainly have all my email notification boxes in Account Settings ticked because I definitely want to know when someone I follow has something to say.
However, I'd love to know what you do and think. Have you built a WAU following *organically* or maybe based on actual interaction in chat? Is it *follow me, follow back* or are you seeing follows as a numbers = ranking tool? Do you ever sneak a peek at a follower's ratios or wonder why someone has decided to follow you?
So, are you *followed* at WAU or *following*?
I'd love you to kiss-and-tell!
Rich. x
Photos © Tomasz Trojanowski, used with kind permission. Legs by Sam, styled by @That Helpful Lab Rat. Ruby Slippers, on loan from the Vimini Cricket collection. Irreverence, @RICH.
Recent Comments
106
Just wondering when the slippers will be back :)
I think it is kind of a cycle you go through. I agree with what Beverley is saying that for a while you think you should follow people back, you are worried about your rank and so on...
When you have been here for a while your focus becomes helping people "giving back" and not worrying about following or posting posts to gain member rank.
One of the reasons to wanting a high member rank is probably the Vegas trip... have not heard anything about that though for a while...
Love the pics :)
Veronica
Hey Vicky,
Las Vegas? Really? You think?! I imagine they'll be some bitter disappointments if people believe the sole criteria for an invite will be their position as dictated by an automated ranking system.
No one knows better than me how generous you are in offering your time and the benefit of your experience to help out other people here at WAU without having any ulterior motive. It's truly appreciated.
I guarantee your Ruby Slippers will be returned shortly in mint condition. I can't spend my whole life ducking falling houses, can I? :P
Rich. x
Like I said, one of the reasons, Rich you have to start reading my whole messages :) I don`t think anybody believe that the sole criteria is ranking... but it is part of it.
Feel free to send them back in the golden box they arrived :)
V
I am following 556. There are 618 following me. I will follow anyone I see an interest in. I will follow a new person if they follow me. I think that the reason some people don't follow someone is because they don't want to take the time to be bothered.
I was brought here through someone who promised a lot and has delivered nothing. He is still a member here and therefore gets a commission off of me. I have mentioned this before at another time. He got me here and that was that. But, I saw more...
I had other people that I did not know welcome me in and take the time to say Hi to me. Also, they offered me help. This was almost 3 years ago. It felt good to have someone else there to answer my questions and give that helping hand.
If someone doesn't want to help someone they brought in here then there are enough members here to help a new person. I did not stay at WA because of the training. That is possible to get elsewhere, I know, because I am a member at other places too!
I stayed at WA and will always be a member here because of the community and because Kyle and Carson and Jay and whoever else that helps us out really do care. They are here for the person that just got us here and didn't give a "hoot." The more they give the more they get. And they will be blessed.
I had to express how I feel. I didn't expect it to be a page.
Thanks for the post.
Hey Mary,
Thanks for commenting and at length, I honestly appreciate it as I'm genuinely interested in everyone's opinion on this.
You're certainly not alone in having a referrer who promised much and delivered nothing. I've seen it blogged by others and the topic crops up in chat often enough.
That's one of the reasons why I've never affiliated WAU, I'll only do so if and when I am willing to commit to and support those I bring into the fold, albeit from my own meagre knowledge and with the caveat that I'm also a relative newcomer myself. I haven't affiliated the half-a-dozen people who've signed up at my recommendation simply because I didn't want to earn from them unless I was also going to be *here* for them.
Rich. x
I think all reasons that you posts are related to why people follow so many WA users.
Many people (including myself at one short period) have probably figured out that if you follow a bunch of new members the WA rank will go up.
At one time WA rank was something at the back of my mind I want to improve etc, but these days I don't really do anything in WA, so I'm not really bothered what my Rank is anymore.
Hey Craig,
Thanks for taking the time out to comment. It's always appreciated.
I've never cared about my own rank and have long since stopped noticing other people's. I figured out early on that if you could make the Top 10 with no other contribution to the community than demands in chat or the forum of "where's this month's pay packet?", I just couldn't take it seriously!
Rich.
Interesting question
I follow 285 people and I have 1875 followers. The only reason why I follow as many people as I do is because when the system was first set up I thought I had to. As soon as I realised I didn't I stopped.
I rarely follow people. I don't feel the need to because I often look at global activity and keep an eye on what's going on. if there's something stunning that I really should read (but I've missed) the chances are people will be talking about it and I will get to hear about it.
In the past when someone followed me I always used to write and welcome them to WA and thank them. Now I don't do that either because the community is too transient and I have spent a lot of time writing individual welcome messages for people that I may have contact with for a couple of days and then never again. I'm afraid I came to resent the use of my time.
I also used to think I should do it for my ranking but life is really too short to worry about such things and anyway the higher my ranking is I found myself dealing with other members sign ups when they barely show their face. Another particular gripe of mine
So I will respond to questions on my blog space, pms and issues in Live Chat but I'm not adding to my followers anytime soon. Sorry if that offends anyone. Nothing personal.
Oh and I don't receive email notifications at all. Too many of those coming from different sources already.
p,s. Just love the pictures. Brilliant.
Hey Diva B.
I certainly get your *position* especially in regard to the understandable transience of the community since the open door policy.
I know and appreciate you're more than happy to help out newcomers who are making an effort but like you I'm not sure why that necessarily needs to equate to a "follow".
It still makes me laugh that often the worst *critics* are the ones you never see in chat supporting people both new and established, free and premium, as you and others selflessly do for many hours a day, every single day of the week.
I'll tell Tomasz you loved the pics. I know he'll be chuffed!
Rich. x
I'm glad you posted this question, i'm curious to see what the answers are...
My few referrals have asked me the same thing, "why are people following me when I've done nothing yet". And i honestly cannot answer that question because i just don't know...
I'm guessing that some people think that following and getting followed will increase their rank. (Not quite sure why thats so important to some) I seriously don't even really understand the whole following thing either. I try to follow people that I "see" helping others and seem to know their stuff, I want to learn as much as possible but I still find myself only taking advice (to heart) from the recommended "A-list" :)).
That being said, I followed whoever followed me when I first joined but now I only follow people who seem interesting or knowledgeable....
Hey Patty,
I definitely think many people feel there's a courtesy element to a follow-backs which is fine. I don't because I've never had that expectation myself. Like you, I don't discriminate against newcomers, if they're interesting, helpful and *engaging* then I'm just as likely to follow them as I am one of the dinosaurs. :P
Rich. x
I like to meet someone in Live Chat and then find we wind up following each other if we've had a good conversation. I will return a follow, usually, if received but I do like to read their profile. I think those two things are my reasons to follow someone: Live Chat and a "human" profile, especially when we have something in common.
Thanks for commenting, Rick. I don't believe there's any optimum formular, ratio or even definition for *honest* follows, it's going to be what each individual is comfortable with and feels they're happy to accommodate. However, I'm with you on profiles, I'm never, ever going to follow a profile-less person. Rich.
Okay, so when I came here a lot of people started to add me. As I want to get to know others, I followed them back. This way your reach will be expanded, you learn more, and you have more influence. I would never have followed some, I'm sure, if they had not added me first. If they have been so kind as to add me I add them back.
Now I try to add some new members everyday because I feel we should welcome them and help them all we can. My ratio is probably high to you, Rich, but I assure you I am not chasing them with some spammy or outdated information. I'm not trying to get them to join "programs" here and I have no intentions that are not honorable.
My ratio is 2.62014 to 1. I have 695 following me and I am following 1821. Most of the ones not following me are those that have joined and probably haven't done anything with WA or they don't understand how it works. Even if I wanted to unfollow some I have no way of easily knowing who is not following me. But then, that is not why I follow people. I do so to be of help to them here at WA if they want or need to reach out to me.
I don't usually look at someone's followers and following, but I did yours, and I notice that you are not even following all of those that follow you. Why would you not follow them? Because you think it is just a way for them to get followers? This is driven by socializing and helping each other.
Just wondering. Maybe I don't understand how I am supposed to be using WA, both as a place to learn and a place to help others.
I notice that you do not follow me anymore. Is there a reason for that? You were one of the first to befriend me here and I was happy to follow you back! Maybe I don't understand your post?
Hey Joyce,
I don't disagree with anything you say, I believe your aims and reasoning are laudable. Like you, I *choose* to follow, albeit for slightly different reasons. I don't automatically follow back in return for a follow, not do I expect it when I follow someone else.
The first person I ever followed at WAU is Steve (@IveTriedThat) because I arrived here with zero know-how and found that 30 Day Success Club (the basic training at that time) assumed a lot of prior knowledge. His additional training helped me immensely, so naturally I followed him. I didn't have any expectation he'd follow me in return, ever.
Just so you're aware, I can't recall ever un-following anyone at WAU, certainly not you, why would I? I definitely commented on your posts when you first arrived, as I have done for many others. However, I don't necessarily follow everyone I engage with. I don't see the value of following immense numbers if I'm subsequently going to switch off email notifications and ignore their activities. I honestly just don't see the point of that.
Rich. x
Same as Twitter, people follow to get followed back. It is how these systems work and the "follower" to "followed" counts are indicative of that for some folks. I don't think there is anything wrong with following lots of people or getting lots of followers, the more followers the more reach you have...BUT...the more followers that actually know who you are, the more REAL reach that you have.
Don't worry Rich, everything you say is meaningful...I mean EVERYTHING. :)
I fear I may have been far too subtle for some, which definitely isn't like me at all. :( However, I so knew you'd *get* it. LOL. Thanks, Kyle, as always, it's appreciated. Rich.
Fantastic. That's gotta be a first, "unfollowed by Kyle", beats Steve's rubbishy follow accolade by a mile. Thanks, Muffin. I finally got *cred*!!
Mwah Mwah & Mwah
In the picture above from left to right
Kyle, Jeff, Todd, Luke & Rich
You are right Richi. Kudos!! :P
The inconsequentialities of your contributions are treasured, Baby, truly treasured. :) Princess. x
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you are definitely a strange dude, however I really don't get the following thing either, but it is good when you do connect with some people that are willing to help you out and others so in that sense it is a good thing
Strange?! Why, thank you! I adore being appreciated for my finer qualities! Rich.