Twitter

Twitter - The Evils of Communication

Questions abound about Twitter:

1. What is twitter exactly?

2. Why use twitter?

3. What is the marginal utility of twitter?

4. Why only 140 characters?

5. Do people actually read tweets?

6. How does twitter make money?

7. What makes you tweet?

This is just the beginning of a laundry list of questions that can be asked about twitter. It is my goal to answer these 8 questions so you don't have to.

1. What is twitter exactly?

According to twitter's website: Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Now that you know the formal definition of twitter, I'll tell you what it truly is. Twitter is evil. Plain and simple. It is one more way for people to know what I am doing. I'm not looking for 500 stalkers (twitter calls these people: followers). Sad to say I do have a twitter (you might call me a hypocrite at this point).

2. Why use twitter?

You shouldn't. I remember a day when no one had cell phones. I remember a day when I didn't know what my friends were doing all of the time. I remember a time when I had to call a landline and ask them. Technology has taken true communication out of the equation. We are now limited to 140 characters (more on this later). Technology is making life easier, but it is also dumbing down our society.

3. What is the marginal utility of twitter?

The marginal utility of twitter is diminishing. There is a point when twitter, because of it's lack of true purpose, will no longer be a useful form of communication. This follows the law of diminishing marginal utility. Simply stated the more of something you get the less you actually want. If you try to eat 100 oreos within a 20 minute period of time, the 100th oreo will taste like poo. For twitter to maintain its popularity it will have to remain innovative. I know that twitter has a team of highly educated college dropouts locked in a room brainstorming on ways to remain innovative.

4. Why only 140 characters?

Why are we limited? I thought technology was suppose to inspire creativity. There is a chance that limiting people to 140 characters will actually increase creativity, but I'm afraid this will only be for a few individuals. My best response is to ask another question: What if I need more than 140 characters to communicate my message?

5. Do people actually read tweets?

Yes and No. People glance at tweets, they don't "read" them. People read books, newspapers, blogs, and websites. tweets are too short to read.

6. How does twitter make money?

Investors. As of yet twitter does not make money off you. The biggest question for twitter and investors is: How will twitter make money in the future? Facebook and Myspace make money off the ads placed on your page.

7. What makes you tweet?

I don't know. That is something you will have to answer for yourself. I think people tweet because twitter is the latest and greatest for the time being.

Jack Dorsey, the creator of twitter, is a smarter man than me. There is no denying this truth, he has taken a simple idea and sold it. His idea has made him richer than most will ever be. I might not like twitter, but it has caught the attention and imagination of our country and the world.