Jenx67, ha! I love your guidelines. I also really enjoy hearing what you like and don't like to read about/see on Twitter. Wouldn't it be great if there was a quick survey we could all take, which would help us identify with others who enjoy the same general aspects of Twitter? 

Lesley, I'm glad (and not really surprised) that so many of my Twitter friends are anti-rules. :)

Ed, I completely agree. That level of detail, surprise and interaction tends to be at the heart of the tweets I enjoy most. I personally also enjoy a good mix and balance in people's tweets, but I just don't want to turn my own preference into yet another "rule." Thanks for letting me know about your newsletter—I'll definitely check it out!

Scott, thanks for your comment! 

The Modern Gal, I SO agree (obviously). I guess what this whole problem points to is how fundamentally difficult it is to be ourselves, and how desperate we are for approval and affirmation. It's sad, but very much a part of human nature. So what's the best way to counter it in ourselves, our friends, and the kids in our lives? Sounds like a future blog post...

Tracy, oh, but the authority of your brand is what *makes* me transparent! Or something like that.... :)

Sam, you use Twitter, therefore you use Twitter correctly. Period. (And I happen to really like how you use Twitter!) Also, I agree—the people I feel most connected to on Twitter (besides the people I know IRL) are people whose blogs I read and/or who read and comment on my blog. Twitter creates a wonderful context and sense of day-to-day awareness that enriches the blogging realm.

mrs chicken, the personal/professional line is a tricky one, for sure. So is ignoring all the noise! Even when I *know* it's just noise, there's still a part of me that wonders, worries and over-thinks it all: "Am I doing it right? Do people like me? Should I be different than who I am?" Ugh! Thinking through it all to write a post like this, and finding other like-minded Twitter pals, helps put it all into perspective again. (Btw, I'm looking forward to getting your tweets!)