Your performance problems are well known. Here a little improvement idea that is trivial to implement, but would make a big difference to your users and helps your performance too.
Add more information into your follow notifications.
Example:
Subject: daddymoomy is now following you on Twitter!
Hi, Mark Finnern.
daddymoomy (daddymoomy) is now following your updates on Twitter.
Check out daddymoomy’s profile here:
You may follow daddymoomy as well by clicking on the “follow” button.
Best,
—
Turn off these emails at: http://twitter.com/account/notifications
Let’s look at the message. The only information that Twitter gives us about our new follower is the Twitter ID: daddymoomy
In this case it is actually something I can work with. I am a dad, therefore first part of the Twitter ID is interesting, but then moomy? Was daddymummy already taken or was it to morbid as in mummified daddy?
But that is all the information I can derive from your letter. To really get to know more about daddymummy I have to click on the link: http://twitter.com/daddymoomy
In the beginning of Twitter, there was the tweet. At that time you wanted and needed to lure us back to your site and once there let us explore or may be even post. But Twitter, you pointed the tip, you sharked the jump, we are hooked. We spent too much time on your site already, and even though you let us down again and again, we are coming back. With just a small adjustment the Twitter experience will be a little smoother. Put more information into your follower notification, like this:
Subject: daddymoomy is now following you on Twitter!
Hi, Mark Finnern.
daddymoomy (daddymoomy) is now following your updates on Twitter.
Location: Cleveland
Web: http://www.godzil…
Bio: My own great blog
Following 1,953
Followers 77
Favorites 5
Updates 2 Last 3 tweets:
I am new..can’t u tell
All new people should get together..i have no idea what i am doing.. Check out daddymoomy’s profile here:
You may follow, block or mark daddymoomy as a spam user.
Follow: http://twitter.com/daddymoomy/follow
Block: http://twitter.com/daddymoomy/block
Spam user: http://twitter.com/daddymoomy/spamBest,
—
Turn off these emails at: http://twitter.com/account/notifications
Immediately I would see that this Twitter shark is fishing for followers and not offering any content. It would give me just a little satisfaction to help out my fellow Twitteraties by marking that user as a spammer. It would be up to you what to do with this information besides blocking of course.
On the other hand, if daddymoomy would be a daddy with nuggets of child raising tips: How to best handle the temper tantrum of a strong willed 2 year old. I would be so happy to follow back. Please give me the information to do that right in your follow notification.