I Found the ONE Use For Those Twitter Lists. (I Think.)

Twitter recently introduced a new feature, creatively called “Lists”. You would think that, having a name like that, it would be self-explanatory. It’s not, completely.

The idea behind it, I guess, is to compartmentalize groups of your followers so if you want to, say, only follow the people who wear glasses, you can now do that.

When the feature was made public, panic ensued. People (including me) remarked how this feature has great potential to be yet another instigator of online drama in some cases.

Whatever.

And then people started having a little bit of fun with it. Rather than naming their lists in inflammatory ways like:

~My very fave tweeters
~Best Friends
~Best bloggers ever

I’m seeing more creativity. Here is a sampling of some of the lists I find myself on:

~love list
~bloggers (always good to keep it general)
~my lovelies
~chicago
~parent bloggers
~blogger buddies
~nablopomo
~love them like sisters
~side effects may vary
~people I want to party with (thanks Amy!)
~hos before bros

I think you get the idea. These kinds of lists are general, not exclusive-sounding (in my opinion), and fun.

I looked up “Twitter lists” on Youtube and found this gem by this excitable woman. She explains all about lists, so it’s a great tutorial if you haven’t tried it yet. I had a great laugh at the beginning of the video when she happily exclaimed

“This is the best tool that’s come out for Twitter in YEARS!!”

I thought, “Years??” and promptly did a search for Twitter’s “birthdate”. Twitter came out in 2006. Are you with me here? She’s a little overexcited and it’s making her spew ridiculous statements from her mouth. I would say that the best tool that’s come out for Twitter in years is…TWITTER.

Anyway, watch.

Oh, and that one real use for Twitter Lists? We’re using it for our Suburban WoW livestream show; we’re able to make a list of our viewers so that, during our broadcasts, anyone on twitter can instantly follow the conversation, and that’s a cool thing.

Speaking of Suburban WoW, we’ve got a special show going out TOMORROW. It’s my birthday show! Click here for details. If you’re not yet a viewer, this is a great show with which to start. We’re having a couple of little giveaways. Oh yeah, and did I mention it’s my birthday show?

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22 Comments

  • The Microblogologist

    So excited to watch your birthday show =)! And the list thing will make it so much easier to maybe interact with other viewers too. I might not be able to keep up though, we'll see!

  • Sue

    Damn, that lady was excited! But she did explain it to me, so I will go give it a try.
    Can't wait for tomorrow! I am clearing my schedule!!!!!!

  • The Devoted Dad

    Finally somebody explains why everybody is talking about "lists". This must have come out when I took a day off. -Jason

  • Anonymous

    Can I still call you at 7:30 AM or should I wait. No I thing I will still call. But I will be the first to wish you a "VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY". Oh have thought about this for a while, don't you think you should give you mother a present for having you? Ha Ha
    Love
    Grandma W

  • ifmomsaysok

    That is a great idea for Lists. It will make following along a lot more fun. I guess that's why you and Weaselmomma are the brains behind all that is Suburban WoW.

  • PJ Mullen

    Twitter lists seem like another way of turning twitter into High School. It's bad enough I wonder why some bloggers I know aren't following me, because I follow them, but now I have to wonder why I didn't make THE list. I feel like that nerdy kid with braces all over again.

  • CK Lunchbox

    I think the only list I'm making is someone's sh#t list… I was on my Mom's for about 10 years.

    I'll have to catch the show.

  • NYC Girl

    I think I gave up on twitter but I will have to check and I am going to try to login from work to catch your birthday show! YAY!

    HAPPY early BIRTDHAY! xoxo

  • michaelsmommy

    We will be watching your Birthday show here @beingmichaelsdaddys house!!! Thank you for posting this. I was totally confused by the “lists” on twitter. I will have to watch the instructional video so I know what to do.

  • Meeko Fabulous

    You're on my 'Blogger Buddies' list! LOL I'm on your list of people you would bake a cake for! So . . . How do I go about claiming this delicious cake prize??? LOL! 🙂

  • Mama Smurf

    I feel so out of the loop…cuz…ummm…what is "Suburban WoW livestream show". Time to get back in the loop….=)

  • Heather

    i finally just made a few lists of my own (aka the "my lovelies" list woot woot!)

    and i am SO BUMMED i am going to be missing the show AND that i will be in town for you birthday weekend but will be stuck with my mother all weekend. GOD.

    but know that i will be thinking of you and wishing that i was having fun with you & weaselmomma instead.

    xo

  • Huckdoll

    It was weird coming back to Twitter and discovering the lists … Twitter is so streamlined and minimal that I was a bit shocked to see it, but I totally understand the usefulness if you have a ton of people you're following. I guess they kind of took a page out of Tweetdeck's columns. Neat.

  • Kat

    You're killing me. Those lists are stupid. You can't possibly follow everyone and everything on twitter. Well let me rephrase that: I can't follow….

    So I keep my own list in that I only follow people I am interested in reading. That number is 48 plus minus one and I like it that way.

  • Michelle

    I am so relying on you for all my tech stuff. Which reminds me I should log onto Twitter again someday. If only just to see what lists I'm on 😉