A guest post by @saraharrow:
Recently there have been some changes to search engines that mean I am falling out of love with Twitter.
When I signed up to Twitter in 2008, it was just about to go mainstream. It was smaller, less busy and more focused on relationship building and getting to know the person.
Slowly but surely the 'rules' have started to appear, tweet what you eat, don't tweet what you eat, do this, do that, automate this, don't automate that…
Everyone started to add "TW" in front of words, stalking on Twitter became "Twalking" and so did Twitter Walks, that was confusing 
We watched the Youtube "Downfall" clip of Hitler and Twitter and found it very funny when it was reported in the newspapers. Yes, Twitter is mainstream, and guess what? Even Sarah Brown, the former Prime Ministers wife tweeted, and so did Number 10.
And slowly as Twitter evolved so did the people who used it and then there was talks of search engines using tweets and that Twitter was THE new search engine. The stats showed that 20 million, or was it billion searches a month are done on Twitter. Then Google changed and showed the most recent updates on a subject in Google, be it a tweet or a blog it appeared. All of a sudden, if my tweets that are business related need to appear in Google, they needed to be 'Spam'. Yes to appear they needed to be blatant adverts. They need to say "if you need a Courier call me on xxxxxxx" to show up in the searches. Relationship building is no longer the new "Black", When someone wants a courier they no longer ask, they search and as I focus on conversation rather than advertising I am no longer found.
So I changed my twitter name to my real name, and watch my competitors get found. It appears my Twitter legacy wasn't to be the most followed courier in the world, it was to make other people laugh with my blogs and life observations! @Essex_courier is now @SarahArrow so do not adjust your sets, you are seeing correctly. I am still me, only the names has changed, and a few little things.
I have just fell out of love with Twitter, and I drop in to say "Hi" to the friends I have made there. I still tweet my blogs out and make new connections, but not to build relationships for business – what I do isn't rocket science (and let's face it there are not that many on Twitter - http://twitter.com/
Of course this doesn't just affect me, it affects you too. Has the changes changed how you tweet? Are you still found?
Sarah
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Hi Sarah,
I came to twitter because I wanted to spread the word about a project – one that I wanted to make sustainable as quickly as possible – it didn't happen because it was met by a load of people promoting and not listening. I found Twitter on this journey. I found you on this journey.
I have never tweeted a business tweet up until now – although I do talk about the general subject a lot. Why do I talk about business? because I am actually trying to do something that helps a few good people and me at the same time.
As for the relationship building, I've told a fair few people to stuff it and sod off because I didn't like them – they come back with things like "you can't say that"… unfortunately you can't make everyone happy.
I generally found Twitter a difficult space from a marketing perspective – I am a marketer and I have never really felt comfortable with Twitter as a place for marketing. Although I feel I'm starting to understand the essence of how to market things. I have to say, when you asked "what am I reminded for, I was assuming that you are an Essex Courier"… it's a shame to see you change your name.
For me it is a way to chat to a few people, share some things personal to me (that is usually something business) and hopefully if they're good fun, people might just pass them on.
BTW: I thought you were a bloke @essex_courier originally – it had no gender. Still makes me smile.
A bloke! now that did make me smile Doug, obviously a courier can only be a bloke, lol. For me, the change has been coming for a long time, I just didn't know how to do it and still keep my followers and more importantly, the people I follow, intact.
Once I had worked out how to do it, change happened.
I'm suprised you worry. I think you're ace. BTW: I removed all descriptions of my activities ages ago – I simply felt they got in the way…. love it. am going to dbl follow you now.
I still use Twitter for business but like you, I like it for the social side too. After all these months of seeing your name, we finally met up in the most bizarre of circumstances online and I'm really glad we chat now
Twitter does one thing very well, it brings down barriers between distances, cultures and working areas.
I'm just glad we met! lol
Thanks Sally
and what a fun way to 'meet' someone
Yes, twitter does break down barriers in the least expected ways!
It was Facebook that led me to your show and not twitter – more tweets next time?
It is entirely possible both Facebook and Twitter could be "Yesterday's News" someday. It has happened already with lots of other sites.
strange how anyone can consider twitter “social” – for such a usage the tweets are far too short – from what I observe twitter for me is simply a site to be “seen” and that’ s all there is to it – best case a multiplier.
Cheers
Frieke Karlovits