Alright. I've been sitting on an idea for a couple years now, but finally realized I'm never going to act on it. So I'd like to "open source" it here. THE IDEA: Grassroots "getting started" programs for new Twitter users
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Think of it like an onboarding experience tailored to a very specific audience. *Generic* onboarding doesn't work, because at scale Twitter has to be everything to everyone. And therefore it can't exercise any taste, judgment, or perspective. It has to be bland.
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But a *custom* onboarding program can work, because when a facilitator brings their own audience, they already share so much in common — interests, attitudes, context, etc. Importantly, an individual can bring taste and perspective to the onboarding process.
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Personally, I don't want to run this kind of program. (I'll explain why in a minute.) But if I were to run one, here's what I'd do:
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1. Post about the program on my blog and mailing list. Explain the value I get from using Twitter, and why others might be interested too (especially if they've been considering it but don't know how to get started).
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2. Provide a curated list of Twitter accounts I think the new users might like to follow. These would be accounts I find interesting + are good role models for how to do Twitter well.
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2.5. Maybe sketch a map of the parts of the Twittersphere I inhabit, to help orient new users.
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3. Write a short guide to good Twitter usage + etiquette. Explain the basics (likes, RTs, quote-tweets, replies, DMs) as well as higher-level use cases (asking questions, having conversations, sharing screenshots, meeting up with people IRL).
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4. Collect new user info with a Google form. Require people to actually make an account + add a profile and profile photo.
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Now the key to the whole thing.... 5. Get all new users to _follow each other_. That way they don't start at 0. That way they can post top-level tweets and actually have an audience. That way they can like and reply to each other.
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So that's the basic idea. Now, why don't *I* run this kind of program? In short: I'm bad at facilitating community. I could probably make a decent stab at it, but it would take me a lot of emotional energy that I just don't have these days. But I do think it's a great idea!
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Anyway, thanks for letting me get that off my mind. LMK if you've heard of anyone doing something similar! I'd be curious to hear how it went. And please share any riffs on this idea and/or positive suggestions for improvement.
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Seems like people think this could be useful for existing users as well. I like
@bracht’s description of it, as helping people move from bad Twitter neighborhoods to good oneshttps://twitter.com/bracht/status/1147578017360830467?s=21 …Show this thread
End of conversation
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