Klout scores as the new social currency

Ben Parr is an IT journalist and a VIP in the digital world, with a Klout score of 80. Klout is a service that measures the influence of social-media users. The score is determined by how often a Twitter post is retweeted, or how many Facebook friends reply to a status update. The average Klout score is 20. Users with very high scores are often approached by the advertising industry, which tries to lure them into becoming market testers. More and more, Klout scores are themselves becoming a form of social currency. Some bouncers check the Klout scores of guests at parties, and some employers are even starting to ask questions about Klout scores at job interviews.