Prodigal Twitter Followers Return

By Jason Lee Miller - Fri, 07/25/2008 - 10:21

Database error cited

Yesterday's Twitter glitch (Twitch?) causing users' follower/followee lists to be trimmed for them appears to be resolved.

Twitter founder Biz Stone attributed the event to an error during a database upgrade. A post yesterday is time-stamped 12:01 Pacific, suggesting the error was fixed within about 12 hours. It would take longer, until today probably, to return actual numbers to normal on user accounts.

Stone reiterated on the blog the error was not caused by Twitter's ongoing spam-fighting efforts, which are described as being limited to placing new rules on accounts so that thousands of profiles can't be created and so that there is a limit to the number of people an account can follow in specific period of time.

Twitter labels these as "aggressive followers" but doesn't delete accounts automatically en masse, said Stone.

News Tags: Social Media, Twitter

About the author:
Jason Lee Miller is a WebProNews editor and writer covering business and technology.

4 Comments

By timethief (WPN reader) - Sun, 08/03/2008 - 22:59

Prodigal Twitter Followers Return

I have been innundated with "follower" requests even though my tweets are private. When I check the url's out every one of them could be tagged as an "internet marketer". I have now removed twitter from my communities display in every social community as I do not wishe to be hounded or spied on by these folks.

By L.W. From Digg (WPN reader) - Tue, 07/29/2008 - 04:13

Even Social Networks Deal With Spam...

I think it may have had something to do with their ongoing spam fights. Now that Google has cracked down like crazy, people are trying all sorts of different outlets to spew their garbage.

I had no idea that people are out there trying to create thousands of profiles. They don't already have rules to stop that. That is considered spam if I've ever seen any. Wow! That's just crazy.

I think "aggressive followers" would be an understatement...

By sofhal jamil (WPN reader) - Mon, 07/28/2008 - 06:49

Twitter followers

That's why i keep on seen error with my twitter...

By Phil Taylor (WPN reader) - Mon, 07/28/2008 - 00:02

Twitter followers

I set up my Twitter account about three weeks ago, and almost instantly found 12 people "following" me, even though my "tweets" were mostly boring as I was just testing Twitter out. It made me wonder why ayone would follow me. I guess this may turn out to be "spam" but I' no sure yet. But your article makes me wonder...