Twitchuck's Friend Chuck in action

Today I am taking an unusual step – using automated software – namely Tweet Spinner to find followers. If should however be pointed out that each time it adds a few I manually check them!

I will only be using the free version but the paid one has a few nice features to filter out a lot of the junk. Primary reason for this is to help @muudboard develop the anti-spam features for his Twitchuck web site. I do this not because I get anything out of it, but because I genuinely think the guys doing a great job – one that I very firmly believe Twitter should be doing themselves, but clearly are not!

This is also an acid test for me for Tweet Spinner and not a reflection that I think it will be full of spammers. It’s merely a cheap, fast way to bulk up on followers for a few days.

*(Minutes later) Meh. Paying for the Pro version as £10 a month as it lets you block out numbers.

One thing I’ve discovered, though hardly unexpected as it has been equally true for years in email, forums and blogs, it that is you filter user out users with alphanumber names (like anna4623) you cut spam dramatically as it kills all the randomly generated names.

If you have some here after being added today (7pm gmt 7/7/09) then yes, you have been “harvested” by automated software! Meeep! That said, you will only have been added because you match things I’m genuinely interest in chatting about. I’m NOT selling and if you are you can take your bag and begger off now, hmm!

I’ve used fairly tight parameter too, like over 100 folllowers, no large margin and so forth. Not as tight as I’d like though. Can’t find the setting to ignore anyone that used numbers or certain words and verbs for filtering. (Found it!)

Keywords to be used:

• Discworld (40 added)
• Terry Pratchett (40 added)
• Rincewind (only 3 ! For Rincewind. Ptt!)
• AD&D (14 added. I wonder how many are false result for that. Ah well)
• Warhammer (Only 15? My!)
• GuildWars (5)
• Warcraft (Zero? No way!. Trying again! 21, better (No point searching for ‘wow’ though!))
• Starcraft (17)
• thesis theme (18)
• wordpress theme (16)
• hosting (25)
• autistic (26)
• Asperger’s (27)
• (thought these would have been spam clean – forgot about gluten free quacks!)

On the ones I’ve trusted Tweet Spnner to add, several have already been removed after a manual check, most for not even bothering with a profile image, 2 or 3 spammers and the rest languages I couldn’t read. (I can struggle with several, but German, Russian, Greek and Asian languages, nope).

Interestingly, it shows I already share 2.5% of both Chris Garret and Jason Bradburys followers. Presumably because of the overlap in interests.

More on this in a few days.

(After adding a little under a hundred, then remembering…)

Current grade with Hubspot’s Twitter Grader is 99.97 (Has been 100%) Does depend on a balance of plain entries, most of mine at @replies
Current rank with Twitter Grader is 1,099 out of 2,619,434
Followers 6,904
Following 6,799
Updates 3,831

Twitter Counter currently rank me 6,583 in a world. Not bad for 45 days of manually adding and vetting everyone until now!

Name: Michael Groves

Location: Saigon

Bio: Developing the art of writing & building a career as a public / guest speaker Re piracy & ‘full’ events surrounding the 2005 Seabourn Spirit Piracy Attack

Name: @UFOHunters
Location: Earth
Web: UFO Hunters
Bio: Hoax or History? UFO Hunters is on Wednesday nights at 10/9c on The History Channel -Follow for updates on the show (I’m not on the show. just a tweeter)

…

Appearing on this list in a privilege. I WILL be keeping an eye on it! Clowns that @message me with affiliate links are automatically excluded! (Note: new page, Currently editing!)

Caveat: Please note some of these people may be nutters and I have no control over their language, links, insights or diatribe!

The Gadgetshows @jasonbradbury is not only real but a role model for how twitterers – especially celebrity ones should act!

JasonBradbury: @milliontwits Thatz the best suggestion I’ve heard. Although, I’m still going for 1. sell, 2. destroy

@Satans_Thong @milliontwits Firstly – You are an evil B.! I am starving here. Can’t even have my morning coffee!!

xxlucyappxx: @milliontwits :O the culprit!!! Should of known you can’t trust come one called @Satans_Thong I mean.. Satan. and thong! in one name.. tut!

JenMilan720: Heyyyyyyyyyyy newbs!!!! @milliontwits @krisempire

elbeard: @milliontwits Stalking is nothing to be ashamed of. The media’s given us a bad name.

buffyc: @milliontwits ah yeah I see the laptop can handle 64bit if I ever feel the need lol Cheers for help Paul

@shtfck i dont even think @milliontwits is listening to me… maybe HE is the bot…

Exactly. RT @Mom101: Man, a zillion posts out there on how to get your blog noticed by marketers and no one ever suggests just writing well.

JohnChow: @milliontwits You can read my review of Hummingbird here: http://bit.ly/scOCt
JohnChow: @milliontwits The best feature is it remembers who you unfollow so you don’t follow them again. Try doing that manually.

@chriswinchester @milliontwits Hey Paul – I’m real.I think, Good luck with the global domination thing

thegadgetgirl @milliontwits Thank you Hope you have a good day!

bhinn: Good for you! We’ll find a way to beat the bots @milliontwits … I’ll toss on buttons for a couple of charities …Bots already own Twitter

@rhcerff @milliontwits Well I’m certainly a bot on a Monday morning…

@helemaalbij @milliontwits watch out who you call a bugger

RandyTheHermit: @milliontwits Hey, I am nobodies Bot and I told you not to call me that

jacobseethaler: @milliontwits yeah that’s my company – i guess you can call it an isp – mostly just web design

BenStokell: @milliontwits i’m following you and i’m pretty sure i’m a real person. i do agree with you though – twitter’s being used too much for ads.

Trevorjensen: @milliontwits treadmill masters?

Bazzadoyle: @milliontwits Real as far as I am aware

geekgirldiva: @milliontwits Considering you followed me first, I figured you knew I wasn’t a bot ;P

zuppaholic: @milliontwits heyy..I’m a real person… ;P
zuppaholic: @milliontwits lol…yup..I’ve been tweeting with my real friends in the real world tho.. Haha..

nschmier: @milliontwits i used to be a real person but the gov’t bailed me out and replaced my brain with a more efficient micro-chip.

CrazyCatLadie: I didn’t scare @milliontwits away with my upchuck story! Yeah!

glitzyorbit: @milliontwits i am real .. are you?

justmk: RT @frankannie: RT @milliontwits Oh FFS, how pathetic is this – using a #quote to link to affiliate site for a chance of making a fast buck.

BoogieTheMags: @milliontwits ~~~ I like the term ‘twit’ for those who twitter! I also like the word ‘twittionaire’ ~~~

ackadia: @milliontwits Yep! Obscured links is a recipe for trouble and an open market feeding frenzy for affiliate spammers!

sumal: RT @milliontwits O.o interesting avatar image for @sumal – Terminator Smiley. Not seen one of those – before. – THANKS

bonnieackerley: @milliontwits Good luck with your quest Mate! there can’t be many of us “Ack’s” out there tho is there???

More later!

Name: goodhouse5

Bio: Writer, artist, designer, cyclist, social media enthusiast, knowledge sponge, thinker, sharer of ideas.

Web: None

Comment: I will however point out that this person, like the last was too ignorant to even acknowledge the plug!

TeddyShadda With over 50,000 followers already he probably doesn’t need my wee plug just now, but he placed for it, so cheers to you mate!

Name: Teddy Shabba
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Web: dating-advice-coach.info

Bio: Posting informative articles on dating and relationship advice to help men with women.

Comment: I will however point out that the person was too ignorant to even acknowledge the plug!

100thfollower