It is so much more difficult to get friends on Twitter than it is on Facebook. Folks on FB accept a friend request and then just hide that person from their feed. All FB friends are two-way connections, both parties have to agree. Likes are different.

On Twitter I can follow anyone I want and receive their updates in my feed. They don’t have to be interested in connecting with me. I can still ask questions and maybe they’ll respond. I follow people on Twitter because I believe I will receive value from their tweets and maybe they can help me provide value with my tweets. Twitter is an open book.

That’s what I like about Twitter. It’s all about value. Whether it’s received, perceived, provided, or whatever—people follow other people on Twitter because they hope to receive some type of value from that action.

What kind of value? Literally almost anything—laughs, wisdom, advice, encouragement, inspiration, information, opportunity, networking, attention, relief, distraction, etc. The list could go on and on. Even if it is only 1 post in 100 or even 1000 that makes me laugh, chuckle, or chortle—it’s worth it.

Twitter provides this value to its users in a compact and streamlined manner. Limited to 140 characters means much, much less clutter. Simple technology means simple to use, simple to collect data, and simple to expand upon. News travels faster through Twitter, trends gain momentum quicker, and ideas spread like wildfire. Facebook is a great tool for staying connected socially and for exploiting the gossip effect, but Twitter is the ultimate social media presence that enhances the human experience online.

Help me provide value to others by being my friend on Twitter @netn8.