Great ideas, but I do agree more with Andy W. Twitter could easily sell services to businesses or maybe start charging a fee for access to the API.

In terms of consumer sales, I’d be willing to pay for a “Pro” account that allows for 200 characters, better organization of all my messages, AND advanced search functions.

Just my 1 cent (we’re in a recession)

John

I think from a twitter needs to make money to survive perspective, there are various models that exist out there that wouldn’t affect normal users. Selling twitter user activity data for one thing. Another would be a youtube campaign page-like model, where for a fee brands and/or events get access to a set of tools. For example real-time search results. Enhanced tracking of #hashed twitter messages, and a branded interface.

As far as Spam, if their can be an Akismet plugin for Wordpress, there has to be something we can do about it here on twitter. To me a no-brainer would be to include follower and following count on emails announcing a new follower.

@all I guess what i’m trying to do is put a mechanism in place that helps discourage spammy usage of twitter. I personally think MLM’rs are going to be the bane of twitters existence just like erection pills were for email. The problem with spammers is that if there is no incremental cost then spam works. I’d also be for pro-accounts that allow you to follow more people. The problem as I see it for twitter right now is the ‘follow me and i’ll follow you game’ devalues the service, especially as people use auto-follow.

The problem with this method is, of course, that you are attempting to dictate HOW people use Twitter, which is never a good idea. But right now Twitter is free, so that will attract the spammers. I think any ‘paid’ model should also include advanced filtering options that make it easier for ‘power’ users to silo themselves from spammers. Since of course, the power users are usually the biggest evangelists for Twitter.

I have stopped following people after I find that I have read none of their messages. haha

Additionally, some of the best tweeters are purely for entertainment purposes and many others are advocating for causes or common interests. They bring diversity and color commentary to Twitter. A pricing model that discourages spontaneous, experimental behavior would make Twitter a whole lot less fun.

In fact, without a cheap way for people to indulge their passions, Twitter might just be the province of would-be marketers, early adopters, social media blowhards, hapless realtors, bloggers and MLM schemers. I’ll take @Chico_the_Dog or @Paul_Kinsey over most of those folks any day.
@CarriBugbee

I don’t like your idea of charging based on number of people followed, since then we will end up with some people having lots of followers (possibly) but not following them back. And that is just unfriendly. It is the people who have lots of followers/follow people back who are a core to the community/communities on twitter.

Instead, perhaps charge based on number of tweets generated or for some premium service, the way I can upload as many photos as I want to Flickr but need a paid account to do more with those photos such as create more photo sets. Maybe on Twitter they could develop some power advanced search tool that some of us would be willing to pay for, for example. In either case, care would need to be taken to make the price and value such that it is not too expensive, so that people will actually be tempted to sign up for the paid level.

I also like Andy’s idea (above) that they find some other venue for selling the product/services which helps off-set the cost of the community.

@all, could advertising be integrated somehow? i.e. a ratio of following against followers, resulting in lots of adverts for spammers and perhaps tweet restrictions. Spamming may be a huge problem for twitter, it will need an innovative and sensible solution.