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Wondering what the correct word to use for a person who is being followed. All I can think of is a followee, which doesn't seem correct. It's being used in a twitter like system of followers and people being followed (followees).

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1  
do you mean followed surreptitiously (the person being followed isn't aware of it) or everyone knows and is aware of the following? – Mitch May 2 '11 at 16:58
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I think leader or quarry, depending on context – snumpy May 2 '11 at 17:22
I've a very similar question for fan – Wes May 2 '11 at 19:57
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@snumpy: quarry is good enough to put in an answer. – hippietrail May 25 '11 at 0:27

8 Answers

up vote 10 down vote accepted

According to this source here, the standard word is subject. Since Siljander wrote the book on the topic, presumably he would know.

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+1. I laughed at first, but it does seem appropriate. – Matthew Read May 2 '11 at 16:59
up vote 6 down vote

I immediately thought of cloak-and-dagger spycraft, where the person being followed would be the mark.

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up vote 5 down vote

Generally, the word would be leader. Twitter certainly complicates things though; I'm not sure that word really applies. Follower isn't really the same meaning in that context either, so it's hard to say what should be used. Perhaps another word should be (mis)appropriated.

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I will give you an upvote as it would apply in most situations, just but not in mine. – MitMaro May 2 '11 at 17:51
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Leaders definitely lead followers but you don't have to be leading to have somebody follow you, think of stalkers or spies or paparazzi. – hippietrail May 25 '11 at 0:26
@hippietrail Yep, I hadn't thought of that context. The other answers covered it so I left mine. – Matthew Read May 25 '11 at 1:02
up vote 3 down vote

There is a clear need for such a term when describing what people do on Twitter, so that there is a symmetrical term to follower. Without it sentences are stilted and table headings a nightmare (as I'm finding). If you search for 'followee' on Twitter you will find that this word is already being used to describe a person that you follow. Initially it sounds anachronistic but usage soon makes it seem natural.

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up vote 2 down vote

Someone who is following is a follower. Someone who is being followed, is the followed.

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I realize that "the followed" isn't a single word. But, I think it conveys the idea you're going for. (The followers, and the followed). – MikeVaughan May 2 '11 at 16:56
That's great for an object ("Someone who is being followed is the followed") but what about a subject? "The followed tweeted to his followers" sounds very weird. (I agree with the below that "subject" is likely best for the subjective form, oddly enough; yay comment-editing). – Matthew Read May 2 '11 at 16:58
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Absolutely. I hadn't considered that usage, maybe Brian Hooper's answer is the best fit? "The subject tweeted to his followers." – MikeVaughan May 2 '11 at 17:00
up vote 0 down vote

Followee. "Squee, Justin Bieber is my followee!"

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up vote 0 down vote

Well, you might try stalkee for someone who is being followed, given how the term stalker can now apply to Internet things like this.

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up vote -2 down vote

This might be a good chance to popularize the neologism, memesta:

memesta - A digital gangsta who has a specific goal of spreading or popularizing a new unit of cultural information, and does so through a planned and concerted effort.

Meme becomes a more significant term for the info-saturation age based on how agile and fanned-out our new ways of "telling" are. Write about a meme on a popular blogging aggregate website and a potentially huge audience receives it. This may usher in the day of the memesta, a digital gangsta of ideas.

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