Stop the Twitter navel gazing please

Over the last few days we've had all sorts of lists, tables, rankings and wikis about PRs, and PR agencies on Twitter. Some of it's useful. Some of it's plain ridiculous.

Can we please stop the ride, because I want to get off.

1) While I am flattered to be twenty somethingth (according to Twittergrader) in a list of PRs who use twitter, I don't really care. No seriously, it's truly unimportant to me because...

2) Call me old-fashioned, but I don't really care how many people follow me. Again, I'm flattered by it, don't get me wrong, but it's not important. I briefly tried - and then very proudly - quit Quitter for that reason. If you're following me and you like my tweets, great. If you don't, I won't be offended if you stop. Please don't follow me just because I'm on that list. I'd be tempted to unfollow myself sometimes. And if I don't follow you back and interact as much as you'd like, please don't get pissed off with me.

3) What is important to me is who I follow, and the reasons I do. Sometimes I like the banter. Most of the time I like learning stuff. And I've learned a lot of stuff from other people via Twitter. And since following them, have met some of them, and like them too. And then learned some more. Result.

4) Oh, and I quite like helping people too. Cheesy but true, but Twitter makes it so so easy to help clients, friends and complete stangers alike. That's what helps make it a community.

5) Some of the people I rate the most (that's you Davies and Wadds) have spent a lot of time and effort pulling together some useful information about who is most active on Twitter using the original (and still best) tool there is - if you're into those tools (twittergrader). And I've followed a few extra people as a result. Other people are complaining about being totally shafted by twitterrank changing their passwords, and twitterawsomeness spamming their mates. Sorry people, I don't have much sympathy for you. Giving your password away for a vanity-ranking?!

5) Anyway please please please, let's not all get hung up on this whole: If more people in agency A than in agency B are on Twitter (according to a three-day old-wiki) than agency A are better at everything social media. Just because I watch a cookery programme and bake cakes doesn't make me a good cook. And Michelin starred chefs don't watch cookery programmes (Or something like that). I disagree with Luke Pollard on this. Quite strongly. Which is unlike me.

6) But here's the big thing. Rant over, but here's the really big thing. If we're all about web2.0, participation and helping our clients understand social media, then let's get back to some quality listening, rather than loud broadcasting. And use it for our clients.

If you haven't yet set up some global searches in Tweetdeck, or Rss feeds from search.twitter.com (when they're working), then that's the best place to start.

p.s. just spotted Borkowski's comment/pingbackto David Brain's perfect headline on this whole discussion ("Am tallest midget in circus"). I couldn't agree more. Just wish I could be as succinct as him.

Vanity publishing, moi? - Me on Sky.com news

Did my regular stint on Sky News' Sky.com programme last night. And met some interesting people in the green room before-hand (including one Duncan Bannantyne). [updated - I reckon he must have known that this expose in today's Sun was coming by 7pm, but he certainly didn't let on. He seemed remarkably calm to me]

For pontification on the amazingness that is using Google data to predict flu pandemics, the most-recent Nigerian 411/419 scams on Facebook, Troop Tube, turning Tequila into diamonds, and a semi-naked Heidi Klum, click below...