Queue up, Get in line. Follow the leader. Cliques were a big part of our formative years. We were assessed and obsessed by those we associated it, and we soon came to be known as "geeks," "brains," "athletes," or described as "popular," "beautiful," "hunky," "offbeat," or "teacher’s pet."
Might the human need to follow others be part of our DNA? If not, why are we still eager to associate with like-minded kindred spirits in the world of social networking? And if FollowFormation has its way, one day you might even have to pay to be listed as one of the top-ranking players within your group.
According to the promo pitch on their Web site, "Followformation is a tool for novice Twitter users (called "chirpers") to get started with following the top people in their categories of interest." To do so, it acts as an aggregator and utilizes several existing Twitter user directories (such as WeFollow, Twitterholic and GeoFollow )where lists are updated into FollowFormation on a regular intervals.
Fairly simple to operate, Twitter users are broken up into categories of interest like social media, politician, celebrity, writer, athlete, travel, etc. which you can then select to find new people to follow. The preview box below actually allows you to hover over category names to see individual users. Then you can choose who you would like to follow from each category. When you add your Twitter login credentials, and hit the ‘follow’ button, voila’… you are automatically following as many tweeps as you selected in one swell swoop!
According to a Mashable report, "It’s important to note that FollowFormation simply sorts their lists by follower count, so, for any given category, the top Twitterers are actually just the most followed ones. At some point in the very near future, users will be able to buy a featured spot at the top of each category, though qualified non-profits will be given featured spots free of charge."
Since Followformation is still in beta, features are still being built into the tool. So those that are interested in providing them with feedback should contact them here.
Flying in formation in no longer an activity exclusive to migrating birds. You chirpers and even you more seasoned Twitterati can follow suit and choose the pecking order you are most comforable with on FollowFormation. From a Zen perspective, it has often been said ‘to lead is to follow.’ So whether you are at the back of the pack or the ‘top dog,’ FollowFormation is just another tool to help you tow the line!
Happy migration.
