#blog12 daysxmas 6 Managing Twitter

I blogged previously about the accounts that I have and about ways I manage information. My Twitter stream is something that I try to keep on top of – because it is in real time, I can’t simply ’catch up’ two days later. I’ve found using my iPad and my phone (HTC Trophy) help with that – checking Twitter is probably the only time I use data when out, I don’t feel the need to be connected 24/7. I find it isn't as easy catching up with tweets using the web version of Twitter because of the way the page refreshes and loads; it starts at the top of the twitter stream and I have to scroll down to get to where I left off. The same happens with my phone app. Using the iPad (or iPod) app is so much simpler. I was previously using Twittelator (when Twitterific wouldn’t work for some reason) and am now back to using Twitterific because the Twittelator app somehow got deleted. Using the app means that the twitter streams loads where I finished, so I don’t need to scroll down to pick up where I left off. I can look at pictures that my friends upload because it opens in a pop up in my twitter stream, rather than going to a new page every time. It shows my tweets in green, mentions or replies in brown and direct messages in blue, all on the same page. I tap on any tweet and it will show me the conversation it relates to. All so much more convenient.

All this being said, I think potentially the most valuable way that I manage my Twitter stream is to manage my followers. I’m conscious of the fact that the more I follow, the faster my page fills and a brief break means that I either miss out on some conversations or it takes me longer to catch up. I don’t always follow those that are following me, although I do try to maintain the status quo there. If I am following someone who is not following me and I find that after several attempts at interaction there are no replies and no requests to follow me, then I stop following them. If the purpose of Twitter is to network and engage with library peers then not being able to have a two way conversation defeats that purpose for me.

How do you manage your Twitter information?