This is all post-hoc rationalization, of course. I follow and interact with a lot of people because it's fun for me and that's my path of least resistance. But it's also really useful!
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For one, ratio-status signalling isn't very compelling. Mostly, no one *really* cares. But also, if you're following 10 people with 10,000 followers, I'm less likely to think, "oh, that person's a big fucking deal" and more likely to think, "personal press statements."
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But, the *WAY* more compelling rationalization: The more people you follow, the better your sample.
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Curation doesn't work the way you think it does on an expressive medium. It *can* make certain narrow signals very loud, but it also has the effect of smothering them, too — and which condition you're in varies over time.
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But if you follow a lot of people — especially if there is diversity in their community memberships — you get thought-sized samples over a wider space. Both contrasts and resonance are high signal. (Just stop following trolls. They are structured noise.)
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End of conversation
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