the.com/following
Clicking a button so you can be mildly disappointed by a stranger daily.
means The group of people who've chosen to see your posts, and the number that quietly represents how many eyes you've won.
from From Old English 'folgian,' meaning to go after or accompany someone — the physical act of trailing behind a leader. The internet kept the word but stripped out the walking; now you 'follow' thousands of people without ever leaving your chair, and the only thing trailing is your attention span.
- origin
- Twitter made it a verb before a noun, 2006
- asymmetry
- you can follow without being followed back, ever
- algorithm twist
- follows don't guarantee you'll actually see posts
- unfollow shame
- removing someone feels ruder than never following