Why Klout is Dangerous

• I don’t know that your article lives up to the “dangerous” title but your points are well taken. You even mention that you are watching your Klout score more closely.

  Klout is an interesting way to weed out the spammers. With the K-Google extension I can see peoples K-score when I look through tweets on Twitter.com. (it’s the only reason I go to Twitter.com any more) And when someone has a K of over 25 or so, it at least means they are working the social media angle. While Klout, PeerIndex, and Grader are not perfect, they do give you some interesting feedback and interesting ways to look at your own participation on the social web.

  There will always be spammers, scammers, and porn peddlers, on any network. It’s how they make money. It is each individual’s responsibility to be a better tweeter and a good social participant.

  John McElhenney – @jmacofearth

• I totally agree with everything John McElhenney wrote. As a small business when I launched I tried to figure out Twitter and figure out how to best use it to my advantage when I launched my business. As time passed, many clients told me while they paid attention to Twitter and even my “tweets” and one fairly large client had my Klout score mapped over a three month period (gasp!) it basiclly boiled down to did I deliver what the clients wanted from me — one year in — thankfully it was yes — when the talk about renewals came up, thankfully, no one said your Klout score is “X” and several other experts are a multiple of “X” That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen — it just hasn’t — yet. One client even talked twitter strategy (twetagy) and said because I essentially sell information to them through a subscription license they were glad as I experimented with things; I had decided to tweet less. The analogy was made to me about a sample in the supermarket — bite size — not the entire item.
  In fact when I did have a lively discussion with another client about linkdin connections, twitter followers, klout scores etc… It basically came down to this – why are those numbers you want to use as metrics important — what do they really demonstrate. I guess I am still small enough to not have to worry about losing clients and not knowing why. If, when, I am that big, I am sure that will be more data to stew on and figure out what I should have read from the “tea leaves.”
  I think all of this can be dangerous. An experienced tweeter told me when I was starting out I needed followers – followers, followers and more followers or it proved my contribution was minimal. As things evolved — I decided that I would rather have 100 followers that paid attention and interacted than 2,000 followers —- so I cold bask in the glory. (it is like that line from a recent movie – I am popular I have 900 something friends on facebook) It boils down to what are you there for — are you there to accumulate — if so then you will do that whether it is adding connections, followers, whatever or are you there to help people — regardless of scores, grades or so forth you will do that because that is what is important to you. If you are there to help you will most likely do that regardless of scores and so forth. Despite whatever dangers lurk , real or perceived, in scores and systems and so forth, I think the bottom line is — be a good participant and 9 times out of 10 regardless of scoring systems or grades you will be in good shape. All that said you should understand these things so you know where the tipping point is and how it will impact you or could impact you. Just my two cents worth – ok maybe a dimes worth.

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