So you reached that hidden Twitter error after 2000 perfectly okay follows.
Here’s the problem: You can’t follow more than 2000 users on Twitter until you have over 1800 followers. Afterwards, you can follow 10% more users than follow you.
If you hit the 2,000 limit, unfollow some and then you can follow more. Just unfollow. It’s okay, sometimes things don’t work out.
ManageFlitter.com is a great tool for unfollowing folks that never followed you back after a while. It has a bunch of nice sorting features. Other folks like JustUnfollow.com for something more automated.
If you use UniteBlue.com to follow progressives, this page allows you to find and unfollow folks that never followed you back.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
very timely: happening to me just today. Don’t really understand how some have THOUSANDS of followers, however.
(thanks for your hard work)
The two thousand limit threw me also. How many followers must one have to increase the number one is allowed to follow? In short, when an one follow over 2000?
Why the limit anyway?
The 2000 limit is to stop spam accounts from automatically following by forcing them to have enough followers. You need 2000 followers to continue following over 2000.
If you’re using JustUnfollow.com when following people back, try to follow back the people who are in the 1800-2000 range first to help them get over the mark.
That’s great advice. Thanks.
Good point lolpacorg. Will do. this has been a frustrating experience.
Isn’t this 2000 limit thing just hysteria? When I reached the 1800s, Twitter suddenly allowed me to follow about 2015. Half an hour later I was able to go over 2020 and decided NOT to go up further (yesterday I read Twitter doesn’t like if you act to aggressively). Presently I have 1953 followers and follow 2076 (have no clue how much further I COULD go, I just hold my horses). Actually, now in the 1950s I consider myself DONE with the 2000 mark.
Another point is, that this 2000 mark stung me to speed up there. Well, it wasn’t several hundreds a day, but when I yesterday read, Twitter doesn’t like that either I was a little scared.
Couldn’t we determine what amount of followings are okay on Twitter. This morning I followed 145 and then decided to not follow anymore today. Because I don’t know what the proper limit is. I’m thinking about 90 (3 times 30) every day from now on.
Another point is unfollowing. As I saw, most members make their decision to return the follow within less than 24 hours–often a matter of only few hours. A member told me she would unfollow after a week, which I consider too long. Personally I came to the conclusion, 48 hours is long enough. After having reached the 3000 mark, we might actually be more patient, follow those we once unfollowed again and maybe give them even weeks. But (without rushing up to aggressively and bug twitter) 48 hours makes it possible to really get over the 3000 mark.
I’d like to have rules, or rather suggestions, what daily numbers generally are recommended to follow. Some members might have actually been suspended, BECAUSE of the TGDN warnings, which possibly made them follow too aggressively?
Oh, I have to explain “hysteria” a little more. These days I heard members complain, “I’m stuck at 2000, can’t follow anymore!” I looked up their profiles and saw figures like 2000 follows vs 1500 followers. I was in this ‘mess’ too and it actually is to fix easily:
There now is a difference of 500 who haven’t followed yet, so I can rid myself of those 100 I followed first and give the rest of 400 more time. And then I can follow 100 others and get returns again. The next day I unfollow 100 more. It would work just fine even without being on the 2000 list. Well, the 2000 list adds a second boost which of course is wonderful.
And as I experienced today, Twitter also helps a little and allows you to go further and further over the 2000 limit–before you have gained exactly 2000 followers. Ergo, this 2000 limit is obviously set approximately.
Once you follow 2000 accounts, you can follow 10% more accounts then follow you. So more accurately, to need about 1800 followers before you can continue following. Twitter limits always try to get “close enough,” so that is a rough guideline that may not reflect each individual user.
The new UniteBlue rules below profiles is awesome! Actually answering all my questions precisely.
Thanks!
Clarissa
Been following the formula. It takes some effort to purge bad ad accounts or those that don’t follow but, once you do, really fun to connect with like minded people. I hear enough from right in mainstream media. Thanks Zach for the great networking site.
I have a small issue with the advice of “follow then unfollow” as someone who’s not done any auto-following ever. I’ve been on Twitter since April 2007 so my account is kind of old and that may give me a particular cushion.
What the age of my account does give me is an understanding of basic twittiquette (so to speak). When UB members follow a bunch of folks without any kind of interaction and then unfollow a bunch of folks because the first folks didn’t follow back, well, that leaves a very bad impression to those who are not going to automatically follow back.
I and many of the folks I polled from my followers, will follow back if there is engagement/conversation/interaction that has some kind of meaning aside from a simple RT or “I found you through #UniteBlue” and that’s it. That’s nice and I appreciate it, but let me get to know you a bit. Maybe you won’t like me because of my foul language (I do warn about it in my profile) or because I sometimes will find agreement with members of the otherside. Or because I live-tweet The Walking Dead. If you come into my mentions and interact, I will follow you back. I want my own experience to be enhanced and am not worried about follow counts.
I think many UB members are so freaked out by their follow limits they’re forgetting the social part of the network we all love. They aren’t getting to know a lot of the people they’re following. We, who have been doing this a long time, learned that many folks become overwhelmed by following just anyone. So, just a bit of advice- get to know the people you want to follow.
I’ll post some other tips on my own blog. Things I’ve learned from the early adopters and from just being part of the platform for so long. The most important I’ve left here- be cautious in your follows, interact and let it grow organically after a while. Be part of the community so we can get to know you too.
thanks