Dalton Caldwell thinks Twitter is pivoting. This is what Twitter is now, at least to me:
The core user experience of Twitter is the sending and receiving of messages with other people. It’s a communications tool.
But that model is less effective at selling eyeballs to advertisers. So it may be turning into this:
the future of Twitter: a media company writing software that is optimized for mostly passive users interested in a media and entertainment filter.
Now, I love Twitter in it’s current form. It’s a great place for conversations and connecting with cool new people. Unlike some, I’m far less interested in following celebrities, especially those who aren’t interested in interacting with those who follow them. It may be premature to announce the death of Twitter, but it is a reminder that nothing last forever on the net.
Social networks come and go. When was the last time you logged on to MySpace? Or sent a message in last.fm?
I’ve been on the net long enough to remember when AOL killed off CompuServe. But I’m still in contact with some of the friends I made through that network. Never forget that the relationships with actual people are far more important that whatever social networks you communicate on.
And there is a reason I’m now posting more on this blog rather than on social networks.
It goes back into something I’ve said many times before: “If you don’t own it, don’t build on it.”
Twitter for me is something I use mostly to catch the ear of other people who use it. I’ve tried staying on top of the gush of stuff that comes through it, but the inherent unfilterability of so much of what comes through it makes it a losing proposition.
I find Twitter is something you dip into and skim rather than trying to read everything, and the text-based nature is therefore on of Twitter’s big strengths.
This is why I really don’t like the idea of some of the rumoured changes. Pictures and videos displayed in the timeline by default is going to clutter things badly and just add cruft.
Worst-case scenario is the sort of passive-aggressive visual spam than clutters up Facebook. When I clicked on the “Discover” tab, the first thing I saw was a bloody Someecard containing a lame platitude. I took that as a very bad omen.
I was thinking about setting up a twitter account just so I could listen to Tower Bridge. But that feed went commercial before I got round to signing up.
Incidents with celebrities making sponsored tweets have done nothing to increase my enthusiasm for the system,
But then, I don’t suppose I would have followed the tweeters concerned, so I doubt I would have noticed them.
I am pushed for time to read my email. I do not have time for much else.
Twitter can be a bit of a time-sink if you’re not careful, although Facebook is far worse (One reason why I periodically take time-outs from the place).