The Independent's Top 100 goes down a Tweet

It was probably inevitable but the Twitter 100 list of the most influential British performers on the social media site provoked a Twitter storm of controversy as soon as it was published yesterday by The Independent and i.

Those Twitter users who were placed prominently in the list took the opportunity to score points over rivals but others were outraged at not being included. Richard Branson, who headed the list, tweeted to his 1.8 million followers: "Thanks to everybody for making Twitter a great place to share and discuss. Proud to top @TheIndyNews #twitter100".

The former Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott (@johnprescott), who came =56, was at least happy to be placed higher than former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell. "At least I beat @campbellclaret as a better political tweeter!" Prescott told blogger Sunny Hundal (=46) and Labour MP Tom Watson (=49).

The Sky News journalist Neal Mann, who has amassed 41,690 followers to his @fieldproducer account dedicated to breaking news, tweeted: "Chuffed to have made The Independent's list of the UK's 100 most influential tweeters".

Blogger Paul Waugh, of the Politics Home website, was ranked top political blogger in a tie with Hundal. He mocked his rival Paul Staines (aka @guidofawkes) with the tweet: "Aw, you're not sore at not being in the Top Political Tweeter lists are you?"

But Guido Fawkes had his sympathisers. "Wot no @guidofawkes in the Indie's top ten political tweeter list? Yet a place for the self-serving Ali Campbell? Madness I say", offered the freelance journalist Ben Dowell.

The radio presenter Danny Baker (@prodnose, 120,346 followers) cocked a snook at the list (from which he was omitted) by impersonating the Twitter style of Lord Sugar (who came 13). "Oi Piersy – beat you on Indie Twter Titans. Looser! Bet 5k on you silly team Gunners to win us next time?"

Nat Guest (@unfortunatalie) was one of those frustrated by the lack of recognition for female tweeters. "Only one woman in the top 20 at all," she said.

Azeem Azhar of the social media monitoring group Peer Index, which helped compile the Twitter 100, defended the credibility of the list, which is based on authority and activity as well as numbers of followers.

"There are lots of people on Twitter and if you just went for a straight top 100 you would only have super celebrities, footballers and people from Saturday night television

"But Twitter is much richer than that and you need to include a judging process, an editorial process and a curating process to ensure that there's an interesting and relevant mix of people."

Richard Branson

"Thanks to everybody for making Twitter a great place to share and discuss. Proud to top @TheIndyNews #twitter100".

John Prescott

Former deputy prime minister taunted Alastair Campbell: "At least I beat @campbellclaret as a better political tweeter!"

Paul Waugh

Highest-ranked political tweeter told a disgruntled rival: "Aw, you're not sore at not being in the Top Political Tweeter lists are you?"

The Twitter 100: The full at a glance list