Twitter has finally acknowledged a long-suspected bug that makes users automatically unfollow accounts for no apparent reason, and now that it’s working on a fix, many would rather keep the bug to cover the awkwardness of manually unfollowing people. Time to admit you’re just sick of your friends’ updates, folks.
Of course, Twitter power users like Reuters’ Anthony De Rosa don’t really want to automatically lose followers, but it’s sort of funny for him to tweet “one benefit of the unfollow bug is it gives me an excuse if someone gets upset i unfollowed them.” De Rosa’s far from the only one. It seems likehundreds reacted with the same sentiment on hearing the news. That’s because it’s true that sometimes you keep following some idiot just because you don’t want the drama of dropping them. Look at how many people publiclycomplain about losing a follower. Well, tweeters, it’s time for us to take responsibility for our actions just a little bit more. Take a cue from The Awl’s Choire Sicha and embrace the hate.
The link came from Courtney Conklin Knapp, who I believe still follows me but I can’t be sure.
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April 4, 2012 at 11:41 am
Miles
Unfollowing accounts on Twitter or defriending on Facebook are actions that all of us have thought about at least once in the past. Granted, we feel *bad* or bewildered when we lose a follower or a friend, but we have to remember that there are good *and* bad reasons for why people ultimately choose these actions.
To make people feel fluffy inside, Twitter and Facebook should consider an optional message that is sent to soften the blow: “It’s not you. It’s me.”