You may not have noticed this, but the most-followed user account on Twitter has not been updated in nearly a month:
It wouldn’t have occurred to me to check, except that it was mentioned on the latest episode of This Week in Tech (where they are under the naive impression that Obama himself actually posts to the account). Apparently the inactivity has resulted in the account’s removal from Twitterholic, which keeps track of the most-followed accounts. And yet Obama still has nearly twice as many followers as the next, Kevin Rose.
So what’s the deal here? Is everybody just too busy with Change.gov? Will YouTube be Obama’s sole method of communicating with Internet users? That certainly looks to be the case. Once elected, it was inevitable that Obama’s communications strategy would become more conventional, but abandoning this direct line to supporters is somewhat perplexing. Why leave 140,000 followers on the table, especially now that Twitter is finally going mainstream? My guess is that they will use it again, after Obama assumes the presidency and wants to mobilize his supporters toward a particular goal, say, health care reform.
That said, it would behoove someone in Obama’s Internet shop to keep the account current, even by recording announcements of cabinet appointments. Events of the past week have underscored Twitter’s usefulness as a news source. Obama’s team would be wise to recognize this.
27 days and 19 hours, to be exact. Shaun Farrell (local developer) made this.
http://www.farrelley.com/obama_twitter.php
It would be one thing if the campaign shut down communications entirely. However they are still sending multiple e-mails a week to their mailing list. Pretty disappointing.
You all were bamboozled – get used to it.
I believe Obama is just busy with the real issues at hand. Twitter matters not, when the economy is on shakey ground and foreign affairs are not that great either.
I believe it might pick back up once he is actually in office. Obama will use the best means possible for communicating with people, at each given point in time. His logical approach to politics is what makes him great.
Dennis
My guess is that the Obama twitter days are over. Twitter is in no means mainstream.
maybe they’re just busy with some post election matters. but i hope they would update the site so that the followers would still have something to look on. I know some people who are Obama fans.
I agree, I am sure Obama and his staff are extremely busy. I think there will be communications from Obama or from staff as days go by. He will still want to be re-elected again and keeping his hands on the pulse of the people is his way of doing things. That’s how he has always performed and I am sure he will stay the course. I hope I am right anyway.
He won’t use it again until 2012 and you will all fall right back into the same mindless trap once again.
It is about as simple as setting up a TwitterFeed RSS account from Change.gov / Obama.com.
I don’t know why they don’t.
Shaun
Maybe his just to busy with the real issues. Just give him a month or so and he’ll be back.
I think twitter is the least of Obamas concerns, or anyone on his team.
So the team hasn’t used their Twitter in awhile? There are other ways to see what he’s been doing, and just because his team isn’t updating on a campaign tool doesn’t mean anyone was tricked.
They have all been very busy with transition and preparation for the beginning of the next 4 years. Give the man a break, he isn’t some celebrity. He’s the President of the United States of America, not Britney Spears. He has things to do.
Watch the news, or check http://www.change.gov for updates on where he’s been. Don’t bash on fellow readers saying “You were fooled” or “bamboozled”. Everybody’s in the same boat now, and we all need to understand that the economic status of our nation and others is a bit more important than a f%#king Twitter account.