Comments on: Government Twitter etiquette: talk but don’t follow

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 07:46:24 +0000

I really believe that local governments should follow their local community on twitter. Surely Twitter is more than just a marketing channel? It should be a conversation. I can’t see any reason to follow someone on twitter if you’re not going to read the updates. For a corporation or local government they are surely looking to listen to what their customers or community is saying, with a view to responding accordingly where appropriate. If a particular user finds it freaky they can simply block that user from following them.

By: Evan

Evan — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:01:28 +0000

I do not think it is bad at all to follow people just for the sake of following, may be a bit spammy but you are doing the work to gain the followers so why not?

By: Neil Williams

Neil Williams — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 11:53:35 +0000

Update – Simon Wakeman has a thoughtful piece on the same issue in reference to local Council use of Twitter – see http://www.simonwakeman.com/2009/03/30/twitter-follow-etiquette-for-councils/

By: Reflections on a barcamp: turning the conversation into action after ukgc09

Reflections on a barcamp: turning the conversation into action after ukgc09 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:55:39 +0000

[...] our three corporate government Twitter accounts. I re-visited the issue of promotion and etiquette first raised here and the sought group insight on how we measure the value of all this. There was a receptive, [...]

By: Neil Williams

Neil Williams — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:01:24 +0000

Further thoughts on this topic from a US blogger here.

By: Dude, the Government is Following Me! « Ulearn2Twitter

Dude, the Government is Following Me! « Ulearn2Twitter — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:05:00 +0000

[...] by ulrn2twtr on November 16, 2008 An interesting question addressed in Government Twitter etiquette: talk but don’t follow is how can a government agency interact with tweeters?It’s a good article and the author and [...]

By: Simon Dickson

Simon Dickson — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:32:09 +0000

To my mind, it’s very simple. Replace the words ‘is following you’ with ‘is listening to you’ – and tell me where the problem is.

But let’s not get carried away. Nobody believes Barack Obama was actually interested in what you had for breakfast, but so what? It’s a nice gesture, it’s better than not doing it, and there are functional benefits too. What the heck, just do it.

By: Stephen Nolen

Stephen Nolen — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:02:34 +0000

Interesting questions. I have just recently setup Twitter accounts for our local city via an @CityofShawneeOK, @ShawneeFD (Fire) and @ShawneePD (Police) accounts.

Initial concept is 1.0 broadcast only with news going out the City account and a subset of Computer Aided Dispatch/911 call data going out the PD and FD. I have only followed followers in the City account but I personally would feel weird if the ShawneePD were ‘following’ me as well so I doubt we will follow with those accounts for now.

BUT we should keep up with any DM’s or @’s that are generated.

Thanks for making me think…
-Stephen

By: del.icio.us links for 16-26 November 2008 « andrewlewin: let me think about that …

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:36:54 +0000

[...] Government Twitter etiquette: talk but donâ€™t follow I’m biased because I’m quoted in the article, but Neil Williams asks an interesting question: Is it bad form for a corporate Twitterer (like a govt dept) to follow new people to gain followers? If it is – how can government and other corporates build their Twitter following without following people on Twitter itself? (tags: twitter ettiquette) [...]

By: del.icio.us links for 16-25 November 2008 « andrewlewin: let me think about that …

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:09:27 +0000

By: Stuart Reid

Stuart Reid — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:56:51 +0000

I remember feeling weird when I received the notification that No 10 was following me on Twitter – it did feel Big Brothery. But I was one of their early followers, and I could understand that perhaps they wanted to get a feel of the conversation among their early adopters. So I agree with charmermark’s answer to your original question – if the organisation genuinely wants to follow me and will read my tweets, then fine (particularly if I’m already following them, but also fine if I’m not). If it’s just to get me to follow back then not.

By: James Penman

James Penman — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:52:41 +0000

The @uklocalcouncils feed is packed with amazing info and I can see some of that info working well in the local review vertical or in the domestic travel/tourism vertical. There’s a lot of substance in the tweets I see so, as a punter, I strongly disagree it’s ephemeral.

By: Emma Mulqueeny

Emma Mulqueeny — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:42:24 +0000

@dominiccampbell (see what I did there?) Don’t get me wrong, I think blogs have a similarly short life in government circles, am struggling to see their benefit – and not sure that I have ever committed to departmental blogging?! All this stuff needs to settle, but as far as corporate public sector comms goes, I don’t see a longevity in this – for the mainstream stuff.

Consultation is different – tat I believe should incorporate all kinds of social technology.

But as you say, personal theory only.

By: TheLondoneer

TheLondoneer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:58:19 +0000

My Department has one too – but personally I wouldn’t want to be followed by Hazel Blears…

By: Dominic Campbell

Dominic Campbell — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 22:19:23 +0000

Wondering what makes blogs so permanent and twitter ephemeral Emma, given your commitment to blogging? Thinking personal choice is all we’re discussing here. There isn’t any science to it…