Twitter has ditched its old-style Suggested User List, which promoted specific Twitterers and gained them hundreds of followers in the process. Its new system splits suggestions into categories and ditches the ability to follow every suggested user with one click.
Twitter is now using algorithms to identify interesting users tweeting about different topic areas like Technology or Politics. When new users sign-up for Twitter they’ll be shown the lists that relate to their interests. Previously the Suggested User List simply offered up 20 recommendations from its list at random.
Twitter’s Josh Elman explained the site’s new method for suggesting users:
“We created a number of algorithms to identify users…who tweet actively and are engaged with their audiences. These new algorithms help us group these active users into lists of users by interests…these lists will be refreshed frequently as the algorithms identify new users who should be suggested in these lists and some that are not as engaging to new users will be removed.”
As well as general topic lists, Twitter has included a topical Staff Picks for Haiti list. It also appears that the list order change at random rather than presenting everyone in a fixed order.
Take as look at Twitter’s new suggestions and let us know if you see any glaring omissions. And while you’re thinking about Twitter make sure you follow Electripig and Electricpig’s writers list.
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