I was on Twitter 664 days before @Oprah. I signed up relatively early back on March 31, 2007, but in a flash, the Queen of Daytime Television had more followers than anyone could ever hope to have.

It doesn’t matter much to me, but it matters to a lot of people who feel they have more cred than the late-coming Oprah. From what I’ve seen, the hours logged and the relationships built give users a sense of accomplishment. With Oprah joining and almost immediately accumulating a 600,000 followers, the Twitter community feels invaded.

This is not a new phenomenon. In fact, sociological theory can help us understand it more. Subcultures, like the punks of the 1980s, feel a sense of exclusivity – communities have a passion for a subject and this insider-knowledge helps form identity. When elements of the subculture are co-opted by the mainstream there is a backlash, because the community feels its identity is under fire. This happened when grunge music burst into the mainstream during the 1990s. Pretty soon, everyone was wearing distressed flannel and skipping the shampoo.

If you’re new to Twitter, don’t worry. Listen, learn and follow people who interest you.

If you’re one of the original Twitter users, stick with who gives you value, and don’t waste time worrying about it having jumped the shark. When something bigger and better comes around, you’ll probably know about it before anyone else, anyway.

And if you have a nagging curiosity to see how long you’ve been on Twitter before Oprah, check out herebeforeyou.com.