• PRODUCTS
    • Radarr
    • Command Center
    • Sentiment API
  • PLANS
  • RESOURCES
    • Reports & Whitepapers
    • Webinars
    • Radarr Blog
  • COMPANY
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Media Coverage
  • SUPPORT
    • System Status
    • Contact Us
  • ACADEMY
    • Radarr Academy
  • TOOLS & API
    • Sentiment API
  • BOOK A DEMO
  • LOGIN/SIGNUP

Listen To Your Community – A Lesson From Twitter and #RestoreTheBlock

  December 18, 2013
  Vanhishikha Bhargava
  Social Listening | Twitter

Twitter Inc. was forced to fall back on its old “block” feature, on December 12, 2013; less than 12 hours after the new feature enticed a lot of criticism from its users who accused it of empowering executioners of online misconduct. The U.S users of the social platform took to trending #RestoreTheBlock hashtag in its protest against the new block feature.

All of us are aware of the old blocking policy – a blocked user could not interact with the tweets of the person who blocked them – no Retweets, no Favoritism, no adding to the list, etc. But under the new policy, a blocked user could still see your activity and interact with it; and not even be ‘aware’ of being ‘blocked.’ (A modest change that received a colossal response!)

Twitter introduced this change, firmly believing that this would end the vindictive behavior displayed by users in response to being blocked – mockery, abusive language, etc.

Twitter stopped letting you block troublesome followers — now you just can’t see their tweets. http://t.co/OuF4OxzjoY #Restoretheblock

— Mashable SocialMedia (@mashsocialmedia) December 13, 2013

A company that fights for free speech rights of users (even when they use abhorrent language) shows their commitment towards the whole idea of tweeting; but it has a major flaw – harassment and abuse (a general case of misuse of freedom). Balancing out both has been quite a task for Twitter.

The company’s blog states, “We’ve built Twitter to help you create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers. That vision must coexist with keeping users safe on the platform.”

Tweets are ‘public’ by default (an entirely private profile is of no use when you want to share ideas!) and the asymmetric following model allows anyone to follow you – whether you appreciate their presence or not. (Something that Facebook lets you decide!) The block function was an attempt to pin privacy protection of its users. Even though the block function is helpful, Twitter would need to cater for more tools for users. (Considering the latest change to ‘block’ was all in vain)

Twitter’s Chief Executive, Dick Costolo and Communications officer, Jim Prosser initially sought to justify the changes as a response to the requests from victims of abuse, but did not! Because surprisingly the protest surfaced many facts that are hard to believe (if you too are a believer of ‘busy lifestyle’) – Users who were blocked, would simply log out of their current accounts and register a new one, making the process of interacting with the person who blocked them easy breezy!

There is a speculation that Twitter might have an economic interest in changing the way this feature works – as many branded accounts or advertisers were blocked by users to avoid being spammed by their promotional tweets (and of course, the new ‘block’ curbs them no more!)

WOW. Nice work people, and way to listen, @twitter: They’re restoring the previous block functions. #RestoreTheBlock https://t.co/xQvV4YeQ1x

— Justin Reedy (@justinsreedy) December 13, 2013

Even though individual tweets can be reported for abuse and emails can be sent to Twitter in case of illegal or perilous content, and you can block that user – is it enough to protect users on Twitter? Twitter is entangled between playing the ‘Knight in shining armor’; safeguarding users and offering a platform for free jargon (as it is in the company’s DNA)! Tweet patrolling is going to take away the open, spontaneous edge of the platform! But can the user disapproval be ignored? Apparently not, as even Twitter took into consideration the points that came forward against the ‘shadow’ blocking policy! (Ignorance is not bliss, when it is about the company’s long term success!)

Customer feedback has always been top priority to companies, as their views help better their business – listening to them, lets them know how important they are to you and to your business. The more satisfied your users are, the more viral you go (that is the power of ‘word of mouth’).  And Twitter seems to have taken to this aphorism! They offer exactly what a ‘community’ is meant to – feedback on services from their users.

Analytics and data give us the desired insights into what our users demand or expect from our business. But wouldn’t it be easier if you could just ask your users directly and save all the statistics for later?

All you need to do – be a good “LISTENER.” And here are some ‘listening tools ’you could use, the next time you need your services reviewed:

  1. Surveys: They are the bread and butter for getting feedback. They are easily created, implemented, executed and analyzed! (Keep it short!)
  2. Feedback boxes: Does your site have a defined process for receiving feedback? It is just a small box that can most certainly be adjusted! (You can’t lose out on customer comments!)
  3. User activity: Now you can use your statistics to know user interaction/ activity. (It shows how interesting (or boring) your site is!)
  4. Social listening: Listening through social media, by engaging users in surveys/ polls/ general interaction, surely ensures some candid feedback from your users. (You want the truth!)

Book your Radarr demo today!

Recent Posts

View All Posts

CASE STUDY
Data is nothing but numbers if you are not able to weave a story and create meaningful insights.
Scroll down to view and download our free reports and whitepapers and learn how we utilize Radarr to give you insights into industry trends, social media happenings and much more.
Download Case Studies
how to find the right influencers
Find the Right Influencers: 10 Steps to Find the Right Influencer for Your Campaign
| Influencer Marketing

Struggling to increase your campaign reach? Find the right influencer. With social commerce gaining immense popularity over the past

social media engagement KPIs
Which of These KPIs Demonstrate Social Media Engagement?
| Social Media Marketing

Tracking the right KPIs helps you evaluate your content better and takes you closer to your social media goals.

influencer marketing campaigns
How to Run Influencer Marketing Campaigns: Best Practices and Examples
| Influencer Marketing

Learn more about the best influencer marketing campaigns and how to run one yourself. Influencer marketing is a method

tiktok growth strategy and tiktok algorithm
TikTok Growth Strategy – TikTok Algorithm And Strategies
| Social Media Marketing

Tiktok is one of the fastest-growing apps in history. It’s currently valued at $50 billion and has over 1

tiktok marketing statistics
23 TikTok Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2022
| Social Media Marketing

List of all the important TikTok marketing statistics you need to know. Whether you love it or hate it,

online reputation management
Online Reputation Management: What It Is, Why It Is Important and Best Practices to Follow
| ORM / Online Reputation Management

Whether you’re a small business or a Fortune 500 company, it’s important to have a good online reputation. Your

linkedin marketing statistics
37 LinkedIn Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2022
| Social Media Marketing

Planning to use LinkedIn for marketing and advertising? Here are the LinkedIn marketing statistics to know of. To market

guide to using youtube hashtags
Ultimate Guide to Using YouTube Hashtags to Grow Your Channel
| Social Media Marketing

Learn how to use YouTube hashtags to grow on the video streaming platform.  Did you know YouTube attracts 14.3

attribution model for social media marketing
What Is an Attribution Model for Social Media Marketing and Why Does It Matter?
| Social Media Analytics, Social Media Marketing

Struggling to understand if social media really works? Introducing attribution model. When using social media platforms for marketing, businesses

what is marketing analytics
Marketing Analytics: What It Is and Why It Matters for Fast-scaling Brands
| Market Analysis

Just like diamonds are said to be a girl’s best friend, we call marketing analytics a marketer’s best friend. 

Radarr Newsletter

Become part of our list for updates and get first dibs on free industry reports. Sign up today!

Radarr

Radarr Command Center

Radarr Sentiment API

Copyright Radarr 2021

Privacy Policy

Terms of Use