When social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook were first created, their primary usage was to communicate to the people that you know. Soon however, those mediums’ usage changed to become a way for one to network with other people. People with similar interests or goals would be able to meet others, creating online communities and friends. It wasn’t long until some users found it a viable platform to organize events such as surprise parties or reunions. Naturally, there was a continuation of this idea as protest organizers began using these websites to gain more supporters while also increasing awareness of what they are doing. What is extremely interesting however has been the evolution of Twitter, overcoming all other social networking sites as the main tool for a revolution.
Twitter was originally created as a platform to inform others of what you have been doing, and at first, users were unsure of how exactly use this piece of technology. Was it supposed to become the new Facebook? Or was it a replacement for something else? Was it supposed to become an open diary for all to use? For the longest time, Twitter seemed like it was going to be a useless invention that would never get anywhere.
Commonly described as a source of useless data flow, a place where people create updates to their lives in the hope that someone is listening. And for the mass majority of people, that is exactly what happens; over 90% of Twitter accounts die off in the first month, and 53% of active Twitter accounts do not post regularly. However, that does not mean that Twitter is a useless service. Quite the opposite, as Twitter has been in the news lately, and for once it’s not what Palin's latest miss-tweets are. Instead, Twitter has become an instrument of revolutions, a vital tool that both helps to organize rallies while also spreading the word of what has been done.
However, now these days Twitter is the must have object for every revolution. Many protesters cite its ability to rapidly inform others of what the latest events are. It has become an outlet for protesters to let the rest of the world know what has been transpiring, the brutality that dictators try so hard to hide gets revealed to the world. It has become such a critical tool that even when the Egyptian government sought to block out the use of Twitter, one of Google’s chief engineers developed a way to get around what had seemed like an “internet kill”. What was most surprising was how quickly this method was adopted by the masses as they sought to continue their revolution. Now, Twitter has evolved past just a simple website, it is now a symbol for freedom.
4 comments:
I agree that Twitter can be an opportunity for our world to communicate more easily. We can post updates and help spread important information. I don't think that users realize the true potential of this resource.
This post really interested me because I once created a Twitter account when it was the talk of the town. In the same day I deleted it, when felt it was useless information. It is interesting to see Twitter used for something more beneficial than a publicity post. I can see how it can give a voice to those who do not have one. It is a means of communication. Not in the same way that e-mail has impacted us, but it has changed our generation. Today, a short sentence or two can keep hundreds of people up to date on your recent life happenings and I think that is a good way of staying connected.
I never quite understood the appeal of Twitter, especially after I got my own account. I don't remember exactly how long I've been a member, though I think it's been two years at least.
During this time I've tweeted anywhere from 30-50 times when I feel like others have anywhere from 30-50 tweets per week.
With that said, I firmly believe that Twitter has a lot of potential as well. I believe that if they allowed a higher word count, then that potential could be realized.
Few things are more important nowadays than the speed at which information travels. Thanks to Twitter, we are one step closer to realizing what others are thinking before they even think it (just kidding). But in all seriousness, if President Obama wants to release a statement or communicate to the world, he can do so with a few lines of typing and the click of a button. Those who don't use Twitter will find out later either through blogs, television, or newspapers.
My understanding is, however, that Twitter has yet to reach profitable levels and I wonder why they don't simply utilize their reach with some marketing, but that's an issue for another blog post.
I apologize for rambling, but Twitter's been on my mind for a good while now and you touched upon a lot of good points, so I couldn't help it.
I too opened a Twitter and soon lost interest: it seemed like a complete waste of time and I had no interest in where people were and what they were doing. However, as your stated, Twitter clearly has its benefits and I don't know if recent revolutions an uprisings would have any momentum without it. I can understand using Twitter for those purposes, but I still don't know why there are so many active users "bragging about their unexceptional lives".
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