Okay, I admit that the title is a little morbid and maybe a bit extreme, but if you’ll bear with me I think you will see my point.

Have you ever been to a funeral and noticed that the gathering is comprised of a lot of people who haven’t seen each other in a long time (maybe since the last funeral)? When the service starts there is usually a time where friends of the deceased are allowed to share their thoughts about this person they were close to. Some will share precious memories and stories. Others will tell the mourners how great this person was when they were alive. And at almost every funeral I’ve been to, someone will say, “Why do we wait until someone dies to send them flowers or to say nice things about them?”

#FollowFriday on Twitter is the one day a week when people use the now common hashtag to recommend people they follow to others. Many simply list 8-10 people at a time who they want to recommend, accompanied by the hashtag. Others take the time to recommend a person at a time with a brief explanation of why. Still others, like myself, have taken to recommending people to follow in blog posts that allow for a more lengthy recommendation than the 140 character limitation of Twitter.

I’ve been using my blog each Friday to recommend some of my favorites to follow. I haven’t done it for the past few weeks due to illness, but today I am back healthy and I’ve been thinking about the limitation of only recommending people on Fridays. Obviously, there are reasons to do it on this day: it’s become a Twitter tradition, others are looking for the recommendations, and so on. But if you know me at all you know that I do not like to subscribe to the status quo. In fact, just about any time I begin to notice that I am heading in that direction, I promptly look for ways to disrupt the normalcy and challenge popular thought.

So I started thinking, “Why do we wait until Friday to say nice things about people?”

Why limit ourselves to one day a week to tell others how cool we think this person is or how nice that one is or how friendly or helpful or funny or intriguing our Twitter friends are? Because of a clever hashtag?

In a way it’s like waiting until someone dies to stand up in front of a crowd and say what an amazing person they were. Or sending flowers to a funeral.

Okay, the people you’re recommending are not dead. I admit that’s a bit of a stretch. But how about telling others how great they are on any day of the week? I’ve seen some people use the hashtag #FollowAnytime. Or just recommending others without using a hashtag at all (who says you have to?)

Here’s a suggestion I offer as a better way to sing someone’s praises other than only once a week. Next time someone you follow on Twitter impresses you, or tweets something that makes your day, or makes you LOL, or anything else that adds value to your life and/or your Twitter experience, recommend them right away! Tell others how great they are and why they should follow this person. Retweet the gem that lifted your spirits and then shout from the rooftops (via Twitter, your blog, or whatever media you choose) how much you appreciate this person. Tell your followers to follow them and why they’ll be missing out if they don’t. Become a momentary evangelist for your friend at the precise time they remind you why you enjoy them as you do. Let the excitement and enthusiasm of the moment explode from within you and resonate in your recommendation!

And how about taking this mindset a step further? Do it in other areas of your life, not just in social media. Tell your co-workers and colleagues how much you appreciate them. Hug your children and tell them why they are so amazing. Give your spouse love and appreciation in a new and different way than what has become the routine. Tell people you know about other people in your life and why you value them.

Why wait until Friday? Why wait until the funeral to send flowers?

Some things are just too good to not share right away.

I mean no disrespect to all of the amazing people who have recommended me on this and past Fridays. To the contrary, I am very flattered. I don’t just say that out of false humility. It truly floors me that almost 6,000 people have determined that what I put out on my Twitter updates is worth their time. I don’t look at it flippantly because I myself don’t just follow anyone. I choose people who I believe add value to my Twitter stream and my life, and if over time I change my mind, I unfollow them. In my opinion, to be followed by ANY amount of people is an honor. And a responsibility, I am learning.

So I want to make it clear that I am very grateful – as I’m sure everyone who gets recommended on Twitter’s #FollowFriday lists – to those that deem me worthy.

But have you noticed that more and more people are beginning to shy away from the massive, meaningless lists of reasonless recommendations that flood the Twitter stream at the end of each week? I have. I am starting to see many others recognize the #FF noise for what it is and move into the realm of giving more detailed explanations of people they recommend to others, much like what I have been doing for a few months now. I didn’t start it, but I certainly want to continue encouraging others to do it. Yes, it takes a bit more time than just clicking a few buttons and typing #FF. But if you REALLY want to recommend people to your followers, aren’t they worth the extra time?

Think about it. Would you stand up in the middle of a party every few minutes and shout, “Hey everyone! Be sure to befriend these 10 people! Thanks!” I doubt it. And if you did, how many do you think would actually follow your suggestion?

But what if you called those that were interested over to your corner of the party and said, “You guys really should get to know ’so-and-so’. They are really cool. I enjoy talking with them. I learn things from them about this and that. Go introduce yourself and see what I mean.” Don’t you think that provides more value? Don’t you think everyone would benefit from your recommendations?

So that’s what I’m trying to do and encourage others to do. Instead of adding to the noise, well-meaning as you may be, why not make a point of “introducing” your followers to others and truly explaining why they should get to know each other?

This thing is called “social media”, right? So let’s get social and bring real interaction and relationship into the recommendations we offer. And why wait until Friday to recommend someone? Because of a #hashtag? Share the love any time, any day. You can do this using Mr. Tweet any time you’d like. If you have no idea what Mr. Tweet is, I wrote a post previously explaining how to use it and why called How To Use Mr. Tweet Instead of #FollowFriday. Use it and make your recommendation meaningful, lasting and influential.

With that, here are 8 more people I follow who I think you should too. Check them out and see what I mean. You won’t be sorry!

@jaycbee – Jazz Baker

Jazz is already well-known because she provides a wealth of social media resources & news. Plus she liked my post on Who Makes The Social Media Rules! Be sure to check her BLOG too!

@kg_creative – Kevin Garcia

Kevin is a gifted designer from California who’s also a funny & friendly guy. He works ridiculous hours & makes me feel lazy! Check out his work HERE.

@crazeegeekchick – Dana Coffey

I think her Twitter name probably says it all, but I’ll add that she’s very friendly, humorous & helpful & has a cool site HERE. Great musical taste, too!

@franklogic – Frankie De Soto

Frankie is a cool grad student with some serious design skills. He’s a nice guy who I’ve also connected with on Facebook. You can check his site HERE.

@meganleith – Megan Leith

I just started following Megan this week thanks to a brief conversation. She’s a gifted & friendly web designer in New Zealand. Check out her work HERE!

@ambifauri – Ambi Fauri

Ambi is a cool guy from Jakarta who I have had a few interactions with. He’s a friendly lover of life, diver, photographer and I believe a sincere, passionate spirit.

@rafaellanunes – Rafaella A. Nunes

She calls herself a "graphic designer wannabe" but one look at Rafaella’s work reveals much more. Gifted, funny & friendly, she tweets bilingually. A real gem!

@PhillyAaron – Aaron

I just met Aaron this week – he’s always engaging people in conversation & has a sweet spirit about him. A genuine guy who’s a doctor from – yes, you guessed it – Philadelphia.

If you’ve followed my blog at all you have come to know my feelings about #FollowFriday on Twitter. If this is your first time here I have several posts explaining why I prefer to provide a more detailed explanation of why I am recommending people for you to follow. Please take a minute to read them if you can.

Why I Don’t Want To Do #FollowFridays On Twitter Anymore
How Twitter Reminded Us That People – Not Numbers – Are What Matter
How To Use #MrTweet Instead of #FollowFriday

The bottom line for me is that I really enjoy interacting and sharing with the people I follow on Twitter, for many different reasons. If I just lumped them all into a list and said ‘Follow them’ I wouldn’t be doing them or you a service. I’d rather invite you to hear a little bit about why I follow each of them and make more informed decision for yourself.

So here are this week’s recommendations from me to you. Please check out the previous weeks’ too, because they are great people who I know you would enjoy getting to know if you don’t already.

@HennArtOnline – Henie Reisinger

Henie is the real deal. Smart, funny, compassionate, creative and kind. Truly a gifted photographer & writer – see her work HERE.

@CharlesLau – Charles Lau

Charles is a friendly guy who drops all kinds of resources & links throughout the day. He is an internet reviewer who writes reviews about all kinds of stuff. (visit his site HERE)

@LBOI – LBOI

Sneh is a very gifted creative with a really cool design blog that I subscribe to and tweet posts from often. A great design resource and a must-follow!

@alexhardy – Alex Hardy

I actually met Alex when I started using his GREAT contact form app on several projects. He’s got a clever, wry sense of humor on top of being a top notch bloke!

@ItsMeGen – Genevieve

I just met Genevieve this week – she’s a positive, uber-friendly and fun lady who I think is going to be a cool one to get to know. Care to join me?

@deakaz – Craig

Craig is a cool, friendly techie from the UK who shares a lot of web design and tech resources along with engaging in good conversation. All my favorite things!

@artc72 – Christine

Christine is a very friendly & fun artist & graphic designer who keeps the smiles & laughs rolling. She protects her tweets but I’m sure if you ask nicely she’ll share.

@Serjeniu – Sergiu Naslau

Sergiu shares a lot of web & graphic design links (sound familiar). He’s a really nice guy from Romania who says he’s a "sucker for knowledge". My kinda guy!

It’s that time again. Friday. A day that in every other context is glorious. It’s the end of the week! The start of the weekend! Let the fun begin!

Except on Twitter. At least for me. If you’ve been following me on Twitter or read any of my previous Friday blog posts, you already know what I’m talking about. If not, please take a sec and read at least one of these previous explanations of why #FollowFridays on Twitter are not that enjoyable for me (you can find them in the “Related Posts” section below.)

Instead of contributing to the noise that is the countless #FollowFriday lists that are vacant of any explanation as to why I should follow the hoards of people that are being recommended, I have started my own little tradition. I didn’t come up with the idea, as I’ve seen it being used on other blogs for many of the same reasons. The bottom line is this: if I’m going to recommend to you that you should start paying attention to what another person on Twitter has to say, I want to share with you WHY I’m recommending them. These people I share have added value to my twitter experience (and even my life) in many different ways, and I am pretty sure they could do the same for you.

So each week I share a few more of the people who I consider true treasures – gold nuggets I’ve been so lucky to discover and sift out of the river that is Twitter. Take a look. Give them a follow. And see if you don’t enjoy them as much as – if not more than – I do!

WARNING: If you are looking for people to follow solely in an effort to increase your own follower count, or people who will leave you alone and never interact in a conversation with you, then this list is not for you. These people are not bots or looking to monetize or target you. So if that’s what you’re into, you probably should look elsewhere.

@VM_DesigNut – Vonnie Maddox

Just started interacting with Vonnie this week. She’s a talented designer (check her work HERE) who’s also a fun person to chat with.

@Pliggs – Pliggs

I honestly have no idea what this guy’s name is, but he’s a gifted blogger, designer & social networker. Interacts with me on Twitter AND my blog, which I LOVE! He’s SOCIAL!

@ShellyKramer – ShellyKramer

She already has an abundance of followers, but there’s a reason! Witty, engaging, clever – a true blast! Plus her profile says she loves MilkDuds & Beer! Of course you should follow Shelley!

@bluedoggiant – Ahmed

Ahmed is a TRIP! Just getting to know this dude but he cracks me up. Probably not for the faint of heart or small children, but definitely a cool guy to follow!

@dmbrown111 – Donna Brown

I just met Donna this week but straight out of the gate she’s been on fire! Truly fun and genuine, she is very interactive and a joy to talk with. Don’t miss out on Donna!

@doggdaze – Mark Bailey

Mark is a very gifted web developer & graphic designer who’s also quite simply one cool dude! Check out the DoggBlog and be sure to see his portfolio!

@BekkiBuen – Bekki Buenviaje

Bekki’s a really nice and friendly gal who has interacted with me a bit via Twitter, my blog and Facebook. She’s a photographer, music & art lover, and more! A classy lady to follow!

@freelancerant – Johnny Spence

Johnny is a cool freelance programmer from Barcelona who puts out a great freelance blog full of all kinds of useful info for us freelancers. He’s also a really nice guy!

@MVPSusi – Susi Schuele

Susi is a genuine class act. Friendly and fun, she is also a talented designer and creative virtual assistant. Plus she loves red wine. A+ in my book!

@Dwyndal – Dwyndal

Like his profile says (at least part of it) this dude is a joker! He’s also interacting all the time & we share some Hawaii & California roots. Can’t wait to see his site! (Hurry up already!)

Here are this week’s recommendations from me of really great people I follow on Twitter. In case you haven’t heard, I have chosen to bypass the whole #FollowFriday mess and use this space to make more detailed recommendations each week. I also make a point of recommending each of these people to Mr. Tweet. I would encourage you to do the same for people you value.

If you’re still wondering why I don’t use #FollowFriday like the others on Twitter, read my previous posts about it here. In the meantime, take a sec and check out each of these great people. And follow them – you won’t be sorry!

@Decotta – Decotta Brooks

Decotta was one of my first friends on Twitter & we’ve been connected ever since. She’s incredibly nice, generous & caring! Check out her latest cool project, too!

@ffffffive – F5

This dude has a really cool design site I visit daily, he shares great design resources & he’s a nice guy from SoCal!

@allysimone – Ally Simone

Ally is just a straight up blast! She’s very funny and is my co-founding member of the #dorkclub. Wanna join? Follow Ally & you’ll be sure to find yourself smiling.

@rahuljrark – Rahul Jadhav

Rahul is a cool computer engineering student who tweets lots of design and tech resources. He’s a genuinely nice guy – check out his blog too!

@bonscrapatit – Linda Walton

Linda is a wildly rambunctious lady with an energy level that makes me feel like I’m a sloth! She shares great tweets & is always engaging. Check her cool site too!

@paviles – Pablo Aviles

Pablo is a web developer & musician from Costa Rica who shares a ton of great resources & is also a very nice guy. He will feed your link hunger!

@HeyErica – Erica Costa

Erica is a graphic designer who shares design links and interacts quite a bit. I’m dying to see her work, but in the meantime she’s a fun gal to follow!

@rsandfo – Rich Sandford

Rich is a CICS Systems Programmer who I haven’t had THAT much interaction with but enough to know my Florida neighbor is a good guy with great links to share! Read his blog here!

@dani – Dani McDaniel

First of all, Dani has a GREAT last name (lol) I absolutely LOVE her design work, plus she’s a friendly, fun gal to boot! She is a MUST-follow in my book.

@EinarRice – Einar Rice

Einar is a highly-skilled creative and friendly guy who promises to take me for a beer someday. What more can you ask for?

Every time I see one of these lists (“Twitter Rockstars” or “Top Designers” or “Best Twitter Backgrounds”) I always skip the intro and scan the article to see if my name is there. Seriously, sometimes I even just run a quick CTRL-F and type in bkmacdaddy. Sadly, I very seldom make those lists (I think I’ve made 2 or 3 so far) and although I have not stopped checking, I am less enthused about the possibility of my inclusion these days.

I say this because I imagine somebody does the same thing on these recommendations I put out each week. Or maybe that’s just my own egotistical insecurity? If it is you, please just let me know that you are hoping to be here. Chances are I already have plans to include you in the future, but there’s no shame in speaking up just in case! “Hey Brian! What about me? What about all those chats we’ve had? Aren’t I worthy of your recommendation?” Why not? Let me know your thoughts! Tweet at me or email or leave a comment…

I hope that Brian Yerkes will forgive my plagiarizing of his title from his blog post “5 People I Follow On Twitter and Why“. I have been writing these weekly recommendations for a few weeks now and when I saw his title I thought it was a perfect way to encourage people to read the contents of the post, like a good title should. So hats off to you, Brian, for not only having a cool first name but also a smart blog post title. Forgive me if I have offended in any way.

If you are here wondering why a blog post instead of a contribution to the massive onslaught of lists of names flooding the Twitter stream each Friday, please read my previous weekly Friday posts’ explanations (found in the Related Posts section at the end of this post). If you feel I have left you out and you should be in this list, please forgive me and write me a nice tweet or comment to let me know. Each week I am trying to include people that I have interacted with or benefited from in some way or another, so that you too may discover the value I have found in these wonderful people. There are SO MANY great people on Twitter, so I hope someday to include everyone! Please be sure to check my previous recommendations too, because those are STILL great people I highly recommend for you to follow as well. And if you feel a need to recommend me to your followers, please use Mr. Tweet. It’s my favorite tool for the recommendation process that has the potential to reach thousands of people with REAL recommendations.

So now, here are this week’s ten that I recommend you follow on Twitter. Give them a try. You won’t be sorry!

@megAlone – megAlone

Funny, engaging, caring and friendly, this web designing, coffee drinking young lady helped me make it through the day this week when I was battling exhaustion. She’s a keeper!

@behoff – Brian Hoff

AMAZING designer who’s also a friendly, down-to-earth guy. I LOVE his blog (design & content)! Plus he has a cool first name!

@emilygonsalves – Emily Gonsalves

A gifted graphic designer who is always gracious, responsive and friendly. You can view her work on her site!

@countzeero – count zeero

This guy’s work is awe-inspiring (check it here) and he’s also a no BS, true-hearted, keep-it-real person! Are you kidding me?!? Just look at the avatar!

@stacysnook – Stacy Snook

Stacy is a friendly lady who usually responds to my random good morning shouts each day with little tidbits of insight into her family life. A genuinely nice, real person. What more could you ask?

@lingokid – Chad Ostroff

Chad’s a cool, funny web designer/developer from Texas who has an ongoing infatuation with my wife (inside joke!) With good taste like that, he’s a must-follow!

@MonaEveDF – Erika Martinez

VERY talented writer and designer (view her work HERE) who is also a Florida neighbor of mine. Erika is always gracious & friendly – 2 plusses in my book!

@jeremyjaymes – Jeremy

Jeremy is one cool dude and a highly-skilled freelance designer. He’s always sharing great resources & is friendly too boot! Check his work here! LOVE the Charlene Wordpress theme!

@redheaddesign – Jen Rochester

Jen is nice, funny and speaks her mind – 3 great qualities! She’s also a talented designer (check her work here!) Looking forward to seeing more of her work soon!

@joshdurham – Josh Durham

Josh is friendly, a skilled young graphic designer, and all-around cool guy! You can view his work here – but follow him to enjoy the interaction!

Each week I try to recommend ten more people that I follow on Twitter with an explanation about WHY I am encouraging you to discover the value I have found in these wonderful people. I have also tried to give an accompanying article that follows or discusses something related to the now infamous #FollowFriday phenomenon on Twitter.

But it is now 8:40 pm (EST) on Friday night and there is not much time to keep up the article tradition. So rather than try to throw something together to give the appearance of an article, I decided it’s most important to share the recommendations. If you need an article to read, please see the related posts at the end of this one. Last week’s recommendations were precluded by a discussion and feature explanation about Mr. Tweet. That article to date is the most popular on this blog, with over 4,000 views so far! So please, take some time and read the others, and take a look at the weekly recommendations that are still standing in each of the posts. Every one of the recommendations I have given are STILL great people to follow. Give them a try – I am certain you won’t be sorry!

Next week I’ll return with a cool new tool I’ve discovered that I’m using to sort through new followers. But for now, here are this week’s favorites from me to you – each one a treasure waiting for you to enjoy!

@peech____ – peech DANGEROUS

She rocks. Hard. You should know this. Seriously funny and wonderfully witty, methinks you will never get bored if you follow this one!

@DesignerFoo – DesignerFoo

This dude interviewed me last week for tweetfeat. One look at his work there and you KNOW he’s talented. But he’s also a really cool, nice guy.

@MadysonDesigns – Sarah Whinnem

A VERY talented designer (check her work HERE), Sarah is funny, friendly and apparently makes a mean margarita. Taking her word for it on the last one, but that makes her a sure follow in my book!

@z3bbster – z3bbster

He’s a Dutch Geek Guy from the Netherlands whose handle I can’t pronounce, but he’s a friendly, nice guy with great resource tweets and some serious skills. Check out his blog HERE!

@macmuso – Kerrin

This young, talented musician is one of my 1st follows. She’s just plain sweet – a genuine person who shares & interacts & really cares about people. Someday I hope to hear her music (hint hint!)

@ManiKarthik – Mani Karthik

I discovered Mani through his amazing SEO blog – a MUST for SEO info and one I tweet DAILY! Full of info, helpful & humble, Mani is a GREAT one to follow!

@designchicklet – Kornelia Rybitwa

Kornelia is a very gifted designer who tweets & retweets a BUNCH of design resources. I haven’t interacted with her a whole lot (yet) but I LOVE her logo & her work (view it HERE)

@jojototh – Jozef “Jojo” Toth

I had been following his blog & tweets for awhile, then he interviewed me this week & I discovered this guy who I was in awe of skillwise is actually a really cool dude! See for yourself!

@beiruta – Beirut A.H

She’s a talented writer and a friendly lady – challenging the status quo in numerous ways (which is something I love to do). Be sure to read & subscribe to her blog!

@piervix – Piervincenzo Madeo

I am just starting to get to know him, but I subscribe to his GREAT design blog and he has other cool projects too! A nice, friendly and HIGHLY-skilled guy!

It’s Friday again, and the hordes of #FollowFriday lists are filling up the Twitter stream once more. Every Friday for the past several weeks I have written a Follow Friday related post to share my thoughts and insights into this social media phenomenon, and I have started my own tradition of recommending at least 10 people here with a more detailed explanation of why I follow them in the hopes that you would follow them too and discover the value I have in each of them. At the end of each of these posts I have said that if you desire to recommend me to others on Twitter I would greatly appreciate you using the website known as "Mr. Tweet" to express yourself. I have had quite a few people say they found me through Mr. Tweet, which is even more encouraging because it means they have made a somewhat educated decision to follow me by reading my profile and recommendations on the website, rather than randomly clicking on one of countless lists of names that provide no explanation for the recommendation.

So this week I wanted to give the uninitiated a more detailed look at some of the many features Mr. Tweet offers and help you to see how the benefits of using this tool far outweigh the anonymous Follow Friday recommendation. Of course, at the end of this post I will share with you 10 more people that I truly enjoy following on Twitter. But don’t skip to the end just yet! Let’s take a quick tour of Mr. Tweet and see if it is a tool that you can use to enhance your Twitter experience.

SIGNING UP

Sign up is quick and easy. Mr. Tweet simply uses your Twitter username and password to connect with your account. Shortly after that you will receive an auto-DM that will give you further instructions. Not bad for a quick and easy beginning, eh?

GETTING STARTED

Once you are signed up, there are 2 ways you can begin recommending people. You can either sign in and recommend people from within your account or you can tweet recommendations using the #MrTweet hashtag.

Signing in opens up a world of possibilities because Mr. Tweet recommends people that you follow for you to recommend. You can choose to scroll through the provided list or you can search for people you already have in mind to recommend. Then you simply fill in the reasons why you wish to recommend the person and then click OK. A dialogue box pops up asking if you want to tweet your recommendation, which I always do because it lets the person you recommended know what you’ve done and usually brightens their day. Isn’t that better than tacking their name onto a list of as many as you can fit with no explanation whatsoever?

You can also recommend others by just tweeting about them from within Tweetdeck, Seesmic or whatever Twitter app you use (from within the Twitter web interface also, but if you’re still using that, please stop and download a 3rd party app. Email me if you need help with that!) All you have to do is start your tweet with the #MrTweet or #TellMrTweet hashtag and then explain your recommendation. Something like "#MrTweet I recommend @bkmacdaddy because he’s a cool guy who writes great blog posts and is very humble." Mr. Tweet automatically adds the recommendation to the database and it becomes part of your profile! Of course, the person you recommend gets the tweet also, so you haven’t missed out on brightening their day. Can it get much easier?

THAT’S NOT ALL!

On top of the fact that Mr. Tweet provides these simple ways to build other people’s Twitter reputations, the tool provides much more for its users. When you log in to your account, you are greeted with recommendations of people you may want to recommend, others that people you have recommended have also recommended (meaning you may want to follow these people because tweeps you’ve recommended think they’re cool) and your own statistics. For instance, today when I logged in I learned that through Mr. Tweet I have been recommended to 8,466 people in the past 43 days! I can also see that 15 people have viewed my profile.

Plus, the people that Mr. Tweet recommends to me are listed in a very informational format. I am given their avatar and bio, the number of people they follow and how many followers they have along with the calculated ratio, the people that I follow who also follow them, the number of Mr. Tweet recommendations they have and more!

This is definitely one of the most helpful tools I have used for discovering new people to follow and recommending my own favorites. And the more you use it the more your reputation grows!

CONCLUSION

Okay, I know I sound like a Mr. Tweet salesman. But I want to be clear that I am not associated with Mr. Tweet in any way other than a user and a huge fan. I am just so impressed with this free tool that I had to share and encourage everyone I can to opt out of the Follow Friday madness and use Mr. Tweet instead. For me, it provides a much more substantial way to show the respect and admiration my Twitter friends deserve. I hope this little tour of the tool will help you see the benfits as well.

Now on to this week’s recommendations! Once again, please take a minute to read how each of the people listed below have enhanced my Twitter experience with their personalities, friendship, resources and more. If you are truly looking for people to follow who add value to your Twitter stream, then give my friends a try. I am certain you won’t be disappointed. And if you ever feel the need to recommend me to your followers, please take a sec to do it through Mr. Tweet. I would be honored.

@LaciiJay – Lacii Jay

Lacii is a lot of fun! She’s very sweet, funny and engaging. We have had a few conversations covering everything from dinner recipes to hypnotism. I really enjoy tweeting with her!

@printedproof – Christian Collard

Christian is a cool guy who I am beginning to discover may be a kindred spirit. Has a great love for his family, is a design workaholic & pursues focusing on the truly important things.

@workingmoms – Ann Marie and Anessa

These ladies are truly fun, friendly & love to engage in conversation with people on Twitter. Always up for a chat, and always get me laughing and smiling.

@ADesignInMind – Sean Haney

I’m still getting to know Sean, but he’s a really nice guy. Describes himself as a Freelance Graphic Designer/Student of Design and he shares a lot of great design resources.

@ionacosmetics – Jude

This lady is very playful and funny. I met her early on when I started tweeting and she consistently cracks me up. I can always count on a smile to be born from her tweets.

@RedHouseMedia – Aaron W Hautala

Aaron was one of the first people I interacted with on Twitter. He’s a gifted photographer & designer (check out his site) and a genuinely nice guy with an appreciation of a good cup of coffee.

@joycecherrier – Joyce Cherrier

Joyce is a former Maui girl who I’ve had the privilege of tweeting with enough to know she is for real – genuine, caring and friendly. Also a #PositivePosse member.

@Ben_Sky – Ben Sky

A gifted fellow creative who shares a lot of great design resources and happens to be a nice guy too! Check out his work on his site.

@LadyProducHer – Lady Tha ProducHer

Smooth. Laid back. Classy. Cool. Passionate. Creative. One genuine lady and friend. Need I say more?

@jonrawlins – Jon Rawlins

Just getting to know Jon recently, but enough to know he’s a really good guy and a talented designer. Check his portfolio out here.

This morning as I was going through my routine of catching up on RSS feeds and all the latest design, social media and tech news, I came across the story from Mashable that explained how Twitter decided to clean up spam and bot accounts last night. The article revealed how the result for most Twitter users would be a drop in follower count. Like most who read it, I quickly put down my coffee and checked my own statistics. I have to admit I was shocked and even disappointed to see that overnight I dropped from over 5,200 followers down to the 4,700 range! My initial frustration evaporated quickly though, when I thought about the fact that the 500 or so accounts that had been deleted from my numbers were actually programs or autofollows or other garbage that truly were not of any interest to me anyway. This got me thinking yet again about the whole numbers game most of us tend to get caught up in with our social media accounts and how we like to achieve milestones and statistics and such.

In the end, I am very thankful to Twitter for the reminder that having over 5,000 followers means very little if the followers are not real people. Or if they are uninterested in interacting with you. Or if they even pay attention to anything you have to tweet about at all. How wonderfully fitting that Twitter chose to perform this liberating act of housecleaning on the eve of yet another #FollowFriday, the day on Twitter where increases in follower count become a primary focus for so many.

So in continuing with my new weekly Friday tradition, and in honor of the REAL people on Twitter who are worthy of your time and energy to find and follow, here are this week’s recommendations of people I follow who I truly believe you will discover add value, laughter, learning and just plain fun to your Twitter experience. Please also take the time to go back to previous Friday recommendations and find other great people I have met and come to appreciate very much (links are at the end of the post.) Enjoy!

@jwoon888 – Justin Woon

Justin is a really outgoing, friendly guy who has great taste in wine (read: same as me), is into design and engages with others daily. One of my favorite new follows!

@adamsconsulting – Diana Adams

Diana is a sweet lady who always seems to be talking with someone, sharing great stuff and taking an interest in people’s real lives. Her young son just started tweeting too!

@davemcevers – Dave McEvers

Dave is one cool dude who’s also into good wine. He’s a kindred spirit who’s into connecting with REAL people and connecting REAL people with each other. A genuine class act!

@ecoblips – Danielle Lanyard

Danielle is a clever, witty, social accountability lady who keeps me laughing and on my toes. She also likes to tease me about pursuing my hot wife. Watch out!

@VincentHunt – Vincent Hunt

A true inspiration, leader and icon in the Twitter community. Always on the upswing, just a few tweets from Vincent and anyone is ready to take on the world! A genuinely nice guy too!

@angbowen – Angie Bowen

Angie is a really nice, gifted designer and writer who I am finding out I have a lot in common with. She has recently taken over as an editor at Fuel Your Creativity and has a great blog of her own.

@JarvisA – Jarvis Addison

Jarvis is another cool designer guy who I just recently met. He’s genuine, funny and shares great design and tech resources.

@iamtiff – Tiffany Reed

Tiffany is a gifted designer who is consistently fun and funny on Twitter. I really dig her design style and I even forgive her hatred of lima beans.

@JohnLusher – John Lusher

John’s a class act. Original #PositivePosse member, he is always uplifting and a powerup for my mornings. A genuine guy who connects for real.

@freelancesquad – Tamara S. Johnson

Tamara is funny, talented and friendly. She gave me a hard time about not yet making this list, so I HAVE to add her on so you all can enjoy her too!

I hope you enjoy this week’s recommendations and by following them get to know them as I have.

If you think I should be recommending you and are disappointed that I haven’t yet, let me know! Don’t be shy! I follow over 2,000 people so each week I’m recommending those that I interact with or learn from the most. Say hello, drop a comment, or shoot me an email and complain (nicely) and you could be on next week’s list! It worked for Tamara!

If you ever decide you would like to recommend me to your followers or to anyone else, would you please take a second and use the great tool called Mr. Tweet? I think it’s an excellent resource for finding great people to follow on Twitter, and the more people recommend you the easier it is for others to find you. Cheers!

This morning as I was going through my ritual email and Twitter catchups, I came across a questions from a new friend on Twitter named Liz Stroud (@liz2point0). Liz asked: “How do you keep up with thousands of people to follow??? Seiously!” So I thought, why not answer the question in today’s #FollowFriday blog post along with my weekly recommendations of people to follow on Twitter. If you haven’t already read my previous posts regarding my personal approach to #FollowFridays, please check them out here:

Why I Don’t Want To Do #FollowFridays On Twitter Anymore

Reasons I Follow People on Twitter – or Not.

At the end of each Friday post are more of my recommendations of people to follow – check them all out and follow some GREAT people!

So on to the question from Liz: How do I keep up with the almost 3,000 people I follow on Twitter? The short, honest answer is: I don’t.

Before you condemn me, race to stop following me and tell everyone else what a loser I am, let me explain.

When I say I don’t “keep up” with every single one of them, what I mean is that it is not possible for me (nor do I think it is HUMANLY possible) to read every single Twitter update from 3,000 different people. There is not enough time in the day. But some further explanation may help you see how to better “keep up” by checking in with many of the people you follow and more importantly accomplishing your goals on Twitter.

First, let me establish what my goals are. I believe it is important to know WHY you are using Twitter in order to determine HOW you use it. Here is why for me:

To expand my network of design peers, potential clients, new friends and colleagues

To discover and learn from resources that are shared

To engage and interact with people

To share who I am, what I have to offer and give of myself freely

With those goals in mind, here is how I try to accomplish them with the people I follow:

ORGANIZE

I use 2 different tools, depending on which one’s version is working best at the time, to conduct my time on Twitter: Tweetdeck or Seesmic Desktop. Both of these tools have the ability to organize people into groups in their own columns. I have groups based on the goals I am trying to accomplish. A group for design-related people. A group for genuinely friendly folks I interact with often. And so on. This helps me to stay more in touch as I check in throughout the day. Plus I can always add more people to a group as I discover them!

SOCIALIZE

Whenever I check in on Twitter, I am on the lookout in my groups and in the main stream of people I follow for anyone that is looking to interact. People who say things like “Good morning!” or “How is everyone?” When I see that I will do my best to jump in and talk with them. Answer their questions and ask about them. It seems that every day I meet someone new or get to know someone a little bit better. This is one of my favorite things about Twitter! Plus I try to share anything personal I am thinking or doing that I think might encourage others to interact with me or help them to get to know me better.

PRIORITIZE

If I did not control myself, I could probably spend entire days and weeks on Twitter trying to keep up with 3,000 people all the time. And honestly, it would be a blast for a Twitterholic like me! But the fact of the matter is that I am lucky enough to be able to feed my addiction by multi-tasking and checking in occasionally throughout the day because I work from home and do 95% of my design business on the computer. I am aware that many people are not so lucky, so this requires even more self-control and prioritization. The bottom line here is that there is no way I will connect with everyone daily, but over time I hope to connect with everyone EVENTUALLY.

I could probably come up with some more words that end in “IZE” but these three simple things have helped me to utilize Twitter in a way that works for me and accomplishes my goals. (There, I got in another “ize” word.) Without a doubt I miss far more from the many I follow than the treasures and tidbits I actually DO catch. But Twitter has opened the door wide to such a broad range of interests and interactions throughout the day I can’t imagine limiting myself to only following a few.

So now on to this week’s recommendations I have chosen from the many wonderful people I follow. I guarantee you that if you follow these people you too will discover the treasures they are and the value they bring to the Twitterverse. Enjoy!

@liz2point0 – Liz Stroud

Must start with the inspiration for this post! She’s a fun, friendly lady who I’m just getting to know. Plus, it would be GREAT to flood her with new followers!

@RichardLaksana – Richard Laksana

Richard is a very cool guy who was 1 of the first people I interacted with on Twitter. Puts out a TON of links & resources, plus he’s a really nice guy!

@RobinMWood – Robin Wood

Robin is a web designer from the SF Bay Area who shares great resources & is also known to send a cocktail your way (at least, a Twitpic photo of a cocktail)

@virtuosoblogger – Gautam

Gautam is an easygoing, funny guy who I have had a few conversations with now. He’s a blogging maniac and shares lots of great resources.

@NNNdesign – Natalie N. Niemi

Natalie is a friendly graphic designer & artist who shares great resources & interacts. Always has a fun comment or insight.

@cheth – Cheth

He needs no introduction to the design community, but maybe you haven’t found him yet. Cheth is a gifted designer who shares a never-ending flow of quality links. A really nice guy too!

@ReneeGannon – Renee Gannon

Renee is a TRIP! She is funny, brash, friendly & challenges the status quo. Not for the faint of heart but a definitely blast for me!

@MhdBadi – Mohammad Badi Irshid

Mohammad is a cool dude who shares good info & interacts with people. He’s a nice, friendly ‘tech geek’ who found me on Facebook too.

@Karin_Phokus – Karin Phokus

Karin’s a fun, classy lady who is always up for a laugh & making others smile. She’s encouraging, inspiring and a blast to talk with.

@teddyrised – Terry

Terry’s a cool photography enthusiast and web designer from Singapore who’s always interacting with people & sharing. Seems like he swims a lot too!

@leoraw – Leora Wenger

An artistic lady who shares design links & resources. She’s also very friendly & encouraging.

@mimojito – Efren

Efren provides a wealth of design resources as well as being a coffee lover (we’ve shared a cup or two virtually). A genuinely nice designer/developer dude!

@tkpleslie – Leslie Carothers

Leslie is one classy, encouraging & supportive friend who seems to be trying to help everyone she comes across. Truly a gem to discover if you haven’t already!

I hope you enjoy this week’s recommendations and by following them get to know them as I have.

If you think I should be recommending you and are disappointed that I haven’t yet, let me know! Don’t be shy! I follow almost 3,,000 people so each week I’m recommending those that I interact with or learn from the most. Say hello, drop a comment, or shoot me an email and complain (nicely) and you could be on next week’s list!

If you ever decide you would like to recommend me to your followers or to anyone else, would you please take a second and use the great tool called Mr. Tweet? It is fast becoming an excellent resource for finding great people to follow on Twitter, and the more people recommend you the easier it is for others to find you. Cheers!