Post From the Twitter Home Page

But isn't Twitter about social networking?

Why limit who I network with?
Twitter may facilitate social networking, but we're not specifically a social networking website. In fact, the way Twitter works is quite different from social networks: when you accept friend requests on social networks, it usually means you appear in that person's network and they appear in yours.

Following on Twitter is quite different, because instead of indicating a mutual relationship, following is a one way action that means you want to receive information, in the form of Twitter updates, from a person or entity. Twitter allows people to opt in to (our out of) receiving a person's updates without requiring mutual following.

If you have a public account, I can follow you but you don't have to follow me. Unlike most social networks, you follow me on Twitter NOT for the sake of a mutual connection, but because you want to get my updates, regardless of whether or not I get yours. If I want to read your updates too, I can-- and unlike social networks, if you change your mind and un-follow me, it doesn't stop me from continuing to follow you.

If you follow too many people, there is no way you can keep up with everyone's updates in your home page. If you're following more than 2000 people, you're missing quite a few updates from many people you follow. You can view a profile page to catch up with someone's latest updates.
If you need to communicate with someone but don't need to see their updates everyday, don't follow them. Send them an @reply when you need to; it doesn't require following and your update will appear in the person's replies tab, so they can reply back.

If you really need to follow someone and you've hit a limit, just go to your followers page and remove people whose updates you don't need to see everyday. (Hint: you'll only see a direct message link for people currently following you.)