Friday, October 9, 2009

Is Twitter a fad?

5 comments:

Patio Action Pearson said...

A fad in the same way Facebook is a fad. It's a new channel for communications and networking. Dan, I know you're not the biggest fan of it, but it's a new form of media. Just as broadcast gave us radio and TV, the internet has given us things like chatroom, message boards, Facebook and Twitter. It may wane in popularity eventually just as radio or MySpace or magazines have, but only because a new medium will emerge that draws its audience.

It's certainly not for everyone, but then again, some people don't like to watch TV or use Facebook. Yes, a lot of uses of Twitter are self-serving, incomprehensible and straight-up stupid. But a lot of the internet is. And I can only watch 2% of what's on television.

I know you're devoutly anti-Twitter. I'm not devoutly pro-Twitter. It's just my job to understand why and how people use it. It's the first truly communally created and self-sustaining form of media. That's why it's important.

Will it be around forever? Probably not. But very few things are.

I'd love to debate this with you further. Maybe if I'm home over the holidays or something.

me said...

At least Twitter limits Andy's comments to 140 characters.

adam said...

In short, it won't be a fad.

Twitter does have staying power, it shouldn't be a fad. There are some entertaining and useful feeds out there.

Unfortunately the way most business and people use it, it's popularity won't last.

Eventually it will regulate and it become a finite niche for personal and business communication.

Erica said...

No, fads are throwaway things that don't have any lasting impact. Twitter is a step in the evolution of social media - the next thing, the thing that will make Twitter obsolete, is going to be based on what works/doesn't work with Twitter.

asher said...

Twitter the site may be a fad. But the idea of twitter, basically just a way to follow blogs or friends through concise blurbs - I imagine that will live on in some form for quite some time.