Qualifying the Obvious

Newsflash: Being someone's digital friend does not mean you actually interact with them.



Read: http://www.hpl.hp.com/research/scl/papers/twitter/

HiL-ar-I-ous

Like we needed a study commissioned by HP to learn this. Well I didn't need it, I am quite aware. The majority of my Facebook friends (read 75% +), are on a totally limited profile. As a full fledge creeper, I know how your FB can be used against you and take great pains to ensure that only the closest of friends can see what I really think and say and do.

....unfortunately I just realized that I keep my friends close and my enemies closer, so this strategy could totally backfire.....

I digress

The point is that access to someone's digital social network is not an invitation to party. Getting through the door, at least in Twitter, according to the study, requires actual reciprocal interaction.

This matters to advertisers who see social networking as a means to propagate ideas and capitalize on viral marketing through who their users know. They will have to be more targeted and link into social media circles with interaction.

Check out the study. It has interesting detail why this information matters, but nothing particularly earth shattering to the average creeper.