For those of you who caught the first instalment, yes, the order has been changed this time around.
As much as I believe that lurkers are in fact learning while they lurk, there is something to be said about those who need to lurk a little more.
Let me explain.
I read with intrigue via HubSpot that, from a micro-blogging perspective on Twitter, users should be posting between 10 and 50 times per day to maximize their experience and more so, increase their followers.
Is it really about the number of followers an individual has or the number of times an individual posts comments to websites, wikis and discussion forums?
If this is the theory, then sadly, what we will end up creating is a social media ecosystem devoid of deep thought, and one that is fixated on the quantity of posts, not the quality.
We all need to take into consideration whether or not what we are posting is useful, not a glorified exercise to increase the quantity of our posts. There is no prize for the pure magnitude of your tweets, comments or posts; there is, however, a value that you provide back to the grid when it is done so with purpose, with articulation and with confidence. Chris Brogan is a classic and positive example of purpose, articulation and confidence with his blog and thus his company. I’d like him to think twice sometimes, however, with his tweet volume and intent.
For those that are creating noise I challenge you to lurk more. Synthesize, read and back up your contributions to the grid, and remember that we all need to learn to lurk a little more.
Clay Shirky is a role model as it pertains to this thinking.
