Stephen Bolen's Internet Awesomesauce

Thanks for using TrueTwit validation service. When you sent me the auto-DM saying that you wanted me to validate my existence as a carbon-based life form by deciphering a captcha, I begrudgingly did it because I was legitimately interested in following you. When you sent me the second auto-DM without even so much as an @-reply, you lost me forever.

First, there’s nothing on the planet more annoying than unnecessary captchas (Chris at Rizzo Tees has expressed this beautifully in his anti-captcha t-shirt). I realize that all the text in the re-captcha project is to help digitize books, but c’mon. I’m trying to follow you on Twitter, not hack your mainframe.

Second, auto-DMs for new followers make me want to throw up in my shoe. Think about that. IN MY SHOE. I don’t even know you and you’re already telling me about how many “Fauxlowers” you have? Really? You just got your ticket punched for a one-way trip on the express train to unfollowville.

So heed this warning, Twitter-ers: If you want to screen your followers, that’s fine. But don’t use a service to do so. You’ll end up missing out on engaging conversations that you could have been having, if only someone could have cracked the captcha code.

Like me.