Why I’m Quitting Klout

I joined Klout a while back because I was curious about the service and also because of a recommendation in a blog I respect that writers should be aware of their Klout score.

It was fun at first, checking out what various people’s Klout scores were and playing around with the tools. But then I became aware of a few negative points:

1. My Klout score didn’t bring me any real benefits.

2. I checked my Klout score way too often, angsting about  fluctuations. (“Uh-oh, I’m going away on vacation! My Klout score is going to drop!”)

3. The accuracy was questionable, with so many factors not being taken into account.

4. I started feeling hypocritical and slimy. I’m always going on about how the number of followers and other numbers aren’t nearly as important as meaningful connections. So why was I so concerned about my Klout score?!? Plus I became aware that it was influencing how I tweeted…which made me feel even more hypocritical and slimy.

As soon as I submitted my opt-out request today, I felt a tremendous relief.

Before Klout fans jump on me, let me point out that I opted out of Klout because of my own weakness/angsting, not because Klout is Bad.

I’m going to take all the time I was spending thinking about Klout and put it into writing and illustrating instead. 🙂