How to reclaim your life from Twitter

Tapping into the Twitter information stream can feel like putting your lips to the Niagara Falls for a drink. Because Twitter only returns what you put into it, which means time and effort, most people soon find it a swirling vortex of time suckage. Here are some tools and practices I have found helpful in simplifying the experience.

1. Give up

Not on Twitter! On reading every single tweet. You are going to miss some. As you follow more people, you will miss a lot. Most, actually. If you were at a huge cocktail party with hundreds of people, would you expect to follow each and every conversation? Twitter is the same. You can only do what you can do.

2. Create lists

Even if you are new to Twitter and only follow a dozen people, start creating lists now. I categorize mine by subject, but you can use any system that allows you to direct your top priority news into separate, manageable streams from the discretionary ones.

Lists also help you cope with frequent tweeters. I have lists with only one tweeter in them, which channels them into discrete lists so they do not flood out everyone else. This is irrelevant to how much I value them. I just like to make sure there is room for everyone in my feed, not just the most prolific.

You can also follow hashtags—# followed by a word (e.g., #sandwich), if you want to stay current on a specific topic.

3. Use an aggregator

I use TweetDeck, which can be downloaded for free. TweetDeck allows you to see feeds from numerous lists at the same time on one screen. That way, even if you want to focus on only two or three lists, you can still easily glance over to see announcements in others.

4. Trim the clutter

Vet new followers before deciding whether to follow back. My deal-breakers include new followers who mostly or only tweet:

• to sell a product or service I will never use
• in a language I do not know at all
• to communicate trivialities, such as what they had for breakfast

I also love Who.Unfollowed.Me, a free online service. Anyone with a Twitter account can register in a couple of minutes and easily track unfollowers.

5. Prioritize

When you log into Twitter:

   a) thank or respond to people who have mentioned you or sent you a direct message.
   b) decide which of your new followers to follow back.
   c) check for and drop unfollowers you follow back only out of politeness,
       removing them from your list as well.
   d) read your top priority lists, retweet interesting items, and tweet your own news.
   e) review your lower priority lists if you have time.

Show Twitter who’s boss

If Twitter swept you up in its giddy novelty, but now you just want off that crazy, spinning hamster wheel to go throw up in a corner, do not despair. You can have both Twitter and your sanity.

• Do what you can and let the rest go
• Make those who interact with you your top priority
• Filter your news with lists
• Use an aggregator
• Declutter by following selectively and dropping unfollowers