Klout scores.. wait, what?

Gabriele, I think it's time I start using my powers a little more ;)

Maggie, thanks for your comment :) I checked my Klout score a while ago and I'm just not convinced by the entire concept. And you are 100 % right.. mentioning it in a hiring process is ridiculous especially if it's regarding the candidate's score. #totalfail

Delfin, I do agree about numbers. The whole post wasn't meant to question the concept of numbers :). I'm quite a big fan of them myself because we are able to paint quite a clear and honest picture about the world in numbers. However, I also believe that numbers are at times being overvalued. Especially in the case of Klout. :) Thanks for your comment and I hope you'll be stopping by more often!

Steve, couldn't agree more. Thanks for linking me up with the article above. Will go check it out now :)

Luca, I'm not discrediting numbers per se. My point is that we overvalue them. We do not need to put a number on everything we do. And yes, I do know my readers & the numbers my blog generates. But I don't need Klout to tell me. I know those things because I engage with my readers, my followers, my fans.

Different people use different means. Whether or not those means generate the same result is questionable. I know what works for me and I'm happy how and that it works. I don't need Klout to tell me. :)

But how should a HR person know it? Klout helps them to judge people. I am on your side, that the number should not be overvalued.

My entire point was that the score shouldn't be used in interviews to start with purely because it's not a metric you should be judged by.

Andrew, I BET my score would sky rocket if it did.. ;)

The proof is in the pudding (as they say). About a month ago, I decided to stop flinging myself like a floozy all over Twitter with RT's from Mashable and other sources...and I took an active part in creating relationships and listening. My Klout score went down from 33 to 24. If that is what taking personal charge of my Twitter account does for me, then I don't hold a lot of faith in Klout. Thanks for the article.

Andrew, I couldn't agree more with you. Relationships are what count and not the number that tells you if you have them or not which is implied by measuring how many RTs you get. Yes, awesome information spreads but a HUGE part of information spreads because people know the initial sender and trust their judgement. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you will more often. :)

Sadly, yes. Only one.. but that was enough of a shocker.

Dear Megan,
I appreciate your reply and the fact that you pointed out that common sense should not be replaced by a Klout score. Sadly, however, this is increasingly the case which is why I wrote this post. I personally don't believe in the score but I know a lot of people do and I wish you success for the future.
Cheers,
Antonia

Hey "Bob",

What's your Klout score? Who are you to judge anyone? You sound a lot like a plant and a blowhard troll.

And honestly, who gives a shit what the score is?

You can worry about getting all the Klout you want. Me? I work on getting more clients and performing good work for them. Maybe YOU should do the same.

Sounds like you give a shit what my score is, Stacey, since you asked! For the record, it is a dismal 21. It would be even more pathetic if Klout didn't integrate Facebook recently. I'm no member of the Twitterati, and I've hardly the time, know-ho, or need to be. So am I plant? Hardly. As for blowhard troll, well, guilty as charged, for the most part. But my intention wasn't just to be mean in my delivery. I wanted to point out that numbers and quantitative analysis aren't going anywhere, and it's pointless to rail against them. I'm a big fan of numbers, and statistics, and manipulation, and these are just some of the vicissitudes of the world characterized by the rigors of mathematics. While I'm sure both Antonia and Stacey need no high Klout scores to function well in society--and I wish you both the best in these efforts--I'm just here to dispel ill-thought criticisms like "Since when, does a stupid number, which is calculated automatically if I may add, give any indication of my future success." Cheers.

Bob, my reply addressed your original statement. Now you're back-tracking. If you'd stated that you're a fan of numbers and see their value, fine. But to tell someone that they need to get Klout is different...you focused on the numbers statement due to your interest in them.

Also, read the post. Antonia states; "Numbers, as useful as they are at times, mislead us and give us wrong impressions about people."

And how can you dispel the statement she makes about how a number can have an indication of future success or interaction of social media?

As you know, any program, equation, whichever example you want to use, is only as good as the data that is used to begin with. But as with any thing else, there are variables. Unknown variables usually.

I've been in marketing a long time. I've been around long enough to know that these "tools" come and go. I also appreciate the aspect of research for marketing, which occasionally includes numbers.

But to say that one person is better than another is worthless in my opinion. Because in the end, as I stated previously, I worry about what I do for my clients. Not what my Klout score is. Now if it was a credit score, then yeah I'm worried.

Finally, I can assure you that I function quite well in society and do so on a daily basis.

Bob, I'm well aware of the importance of numbers in this world and I'm not criticizing the general concept of numbers. However, I don't care much about the Klout numbers. As to the part of the comment where you suggest for me to go and acquire some actual "clout", I'm confident I can handle the cruelties the world throws at me without a high Klout score and have done so quite nicely. Thank you.

Jeff, I was naughty and stole the pic from you. I will now go and burry my head in shame.. NOT. ;)

Feel free to be naughty, I don't mind :)

I wasn't expecting you to feel shame for that, hell I stole it from a website that steals stuff from other websites, it's been stolen so many times now, it could probably be deemed original again (I swear that made sense in my head)

While I agree that numbers are just numbers and they don't paint a comprehensive picture, your Klout score is quite high and it DOES indicate that you have influence on Twitter. Since you can't stop people from using it, why not decide to use it to your advantage?

P.S. Before you go with Disqus please consider CommentLuv too. I did a roundup of posts comparing the various commenting systems and almost all of the blogs that originally used Disqus or Intense Debate have now switched to CommentLuv.

There is information about it in the link for this comment.

Gail, while I generally agree with the saying if something is good use it to your advantage I'm trying to stay as far away as possible from using Klout on my resume or in any discussion. Personally, I think the score paints a wrong picture most of the time. :)

As for commentluv, I thought that was only a plugin that allows commenters to link to their latest posts? It's not a comment management system by itself though? If I'm wrong, please let me know. :)

LOL Barry.. I like the 'klout my ass' expression ;) Goody! RE Disqus: Thought about it. Decided against it. Waiting for the code of Livefyre. ;) Hopefully will get it soon! But do agree, that most things are better than the normal comment system.