Most people new to Twitter don’t get it or the value it provides. That’s understandable for any new social network. I joined Twitter in June 2007, didn’t unders

Most people new to Twitter don’t get it or the value it provides. That’s understandable for any new social network. I joined Twitter in June 2007, didn’t understand it, and my account sat dormant until just a few months ago, when I became an active user. The value of Twitter is entirely derived from those users you choose to follow. It's not all about banal updates about meal choices, goodnight wishes, and Twitter slang. But some people will post that stuff, so your course of action is simple: if these people bug you, unfollow them. Pruning and managing your following list is an ongoing effort, but it can yield excellent results. I follow a wealth of different types of users on twitter - from tech journalists/commentators (@gruber) to startup CEOs (@jasonfried, @ev) to companies I deal with (@thinkgeek) to former university professors I’ve had (@edbarr) to friends and family. And that’s just scratching the surface. These people provide me an interesting stream of updates on things that matter to me. You might not enjoy the same set of users, and that's ok, but that should be your end goal - develop your following list into something that provides you with value. And you know what? You don’t even have to tweet. Build yourself a following list and consume consume consume. Not everyone is—or should be—a content producer. But Twitter gives you the option to be one, and if you're not, you can still benefit from the community at large.