Comments on: Measuring influence Part I: Social media http://hummingbird604.com/2009/02/26/measuring-influence-part-i-social-media/ The personal blog of a Vancouver-based educator in environmental issues Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:20:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Adrienne_j http://hummingbird604.com/2009/02/26/measuring-influence-part-i-social-media/comment-page-1/#comment-3540 Adrienne_j Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:12:33 +0000 http://hummingbird604.com/?p=2092#comment-3540 I wrote this on your twitter but I also wanted to put it here: Just want to say that I don't know a lot about social media and quantitative metrics, however I do know that I follow you because you DO chat, and that you are engaged, I don't need advice simply thrown at me. I would add to this that I agree with Beth, "influence" is a little too vague, and I would argue that its definition is subjective to a person's perception of what is influential. I personally feel that you are influential, because you keep my interest each day and that I'm inspired to read your posts on your blog due to what you say on Twitter. However, I am NOT literate in the social media world, and therefore something that might be influential for me, could very well be different for someone who's more interested in links, advice, etc. Because I come from a counselling background I'm interested in the relationships built on Twitter, and so you influence me through being a real person online, who makes jokes, engages me in chatting, all things that really are difficult to measure. So if you have less followers but you are engaged more deeply with each, are you less influential simply because you have less followers? Anyway, all interesting ideas! Thanks for writing this post, it's introduced me to some concepts of social media and piqued my interest about this obviously complex topic! I wrote this on your twitter but I also wanted to put it here:

Just want to say that I don’t know a lot about social media and quantitative metrics, however I do know that I follow you because you DO chat, and that you are engaged, I don’t need advice simply thrown at me.

I would add to this that I agree with Beth, “influence” is a little too vague, and I would argue that its definition is subjective to a person’s perception of what is influential. I personally feel that you are influential, because you keep my interest each day and that I’m inspired to read your posts on your blog due to what you say on Twitter. However, I am NOT literate in the social media world, and therefore something that might be influential for me, could very well be different for someone who’s more interested in links, advice, etc. Because I come from a counselling background I’m interested in the relationships built on Twitter, and so you influence me through being a real person online, who makes jokes, engages me in chatting, all things that really are difficult to measure. So if you have less followers but you are engaged more deeply with each, are you less influential simply because you have less followers?
Anyway, all interesting ideas! Thanks for writing this post, it’s introduced me to some concepts of social media and piqued my interest about this obviously complex topic!

]]> By: Beth http://hummingbird604.com/2009/02/26/measuring-influence-part-i-social-media/comment-page-1/#comment-3538 Beth Fri, 27 Feb 2009 04:19:20 +0000 http://hummingbird604.com/?p=2092#comment-3538 What she said. Seriously, I came to say basically the same thing as Raincoaster - "influence" is a little too vague. Influence people <i>to do what?</i> Does someone influence people to buy things? to visit a certain website? to change their perceptions (I'm thinking her of Airdrie's blogging about mental health - she certainly influences people to think differently about mental health, to reduce stigma - but these things are not going to show up in some easily accessible quantitative measure). Also, and I'm sure you know this, there are plenty of critiques about the validity of using journal Impact Factors and citation numbers. What she said.

Seriously, I came to say basically the same thing as Raincoaster – “influence” is a little too vague. Influence people to do what? Does someone influence people to buy things? to visit a certain website? to change their perceptions (I’m thinking her of Airdrie’s blogging about mental health – she certainly influences people to think differently about mental health, to reduce stigma – but these things are not going to show up in some easily accessible quantitative measure).

Also, and I’m sure you know this, there are plenty of critiques about the validity of using journal Impact Factors and citation numbers.

]]> By: raincoaster http://hummingbird604.com/2009/02/26/measuring-influence-part-i-social-media/comment-page-1/#comment-3536 raincoaster Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:54:44 +0000 http://hummingbird604.com/?p=2092#comment-3536 There is also the question of what kinds of influence should weigh more heavily than others. After all, a person like Merlin Mann gets rt'd a lot, which is defined by existing metrics as influential, whereas some people put things into the cybersphere which result in actions taken offline. That's a hugely different degree of influence, and how can you possibly quantify that? "My score on Twitter Grader is 97.5, my score on Change The World Grader is 13.2" etc. There is also the question of what kinds of influence should weigh more heavily than others. After all, a person like Merlin Mann gets rt’d a lot, which is defined by existing metrics as influential, whereas some people put things into the cybersphere which result in actions taken offline. That’s a hugely different degree of influence, and how can you possibly quantify that?

“My score on Twitter Grader is 97.5, my score on Change The World Grader is 13.2″ etc.

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