I'm following who now? (No, not Newt Gingrich)

August 2, 2011 9:59 AM

This Newt Gingrich Mefi post about paid Twitter followers had me looking at my own Twitter stream more closely. Now I'm concerned. I don't auto-follow, but I'm following Twitterers I don't remember choosing to follow at all! Help me get to the bottom of this, please.

Problem: Twitter doesn't let you see the date you started following someone. Anyone know of (free) software that does? I searched and found nothing.

Bonus: how do I make sure this isn't happening/won't happen to me again? Hootsuite? Seesmic? Will they do the job?

posted by misha to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I picked up some followees(?) when I took advantage of special offers.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 10:06 AM on August 2, 2011

I'm following Twitterers I don't remember choosing to follow at all!

Note that Twitter allows you to change your username. So it's possible that you simply followed someone, they changed their name, and you didn't realize the change happened.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 10:19 AM on August 2, 2011

Are you following anyone else's lists?
posted by mkb at 10:19 AM on August 2, 2011 [1 favorite]

One time someone figured out how to make a link which, if you clicked it, made you follow someone without you realizing you had done so.

The only real solution was to check your list once in a while, and unfollow all the people you don't recognize.

Or just don't sweat it.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 10:35 AM on August 2, 2011

Friend or Follow lets you see who's not following you back, if that helps.
posted by changeling at 11:36 AM on August 2, 2011