Comments on: I just don’t get it

By: Ramesh

Ramesh — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:16:06 +0000

Banjo, yeah!, hadn’t thought of that before, but yes, I agree! Right from the time of ICQ (another hot thing that no one uses any more, including me), to MSN Messenger to Yahoo Messenger to now, Google Talk.

By: Banjo

Banjo — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:00:36 +0000

Would you agree updating status messages on chat portals were the earliest tweets? :)

By: Ramesh

Ramesh — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:31:13 +0000

Spring68: I agree that any medium that has the power of influencing millions will have allure. I do not dispute that. What does feel shaky to me is that Twitter is neither the best medium to do that, nor the first. My voice of dissent is predicated on my observation that all Twitter gives is merely the illusion of being important and influential, and that’s got to wear off pretty quick. Influence is not conferred, and earning it is much harder than having a bunch of followers on Twitter.

Sreejith: Your thesis that people like using the Internet (perhaps because it gives them more control and visibility and instant gratification?) is spot on, and I guess the site du jour will always be popular. Which makes me think what kind of services and sites will have lasting longevity like the telephone had.

As Shirky says, “here comes everybody.”

By: Sreejith

Sreejith — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 03:41:49 +0000

Though provoking post. Enjoyed reading it.

“Why exactly does humanity need to keep everyone updated on what they’re up to every instant?”

Well, people are broadcasting there lives right now. Photos of places they have been to, music/videos they are seeing and even the last thought that passed through their mind, and no doubt they are enjoying it for the moment. Now all these popular sites cache on any media type, ie flickr for photos, youtube for videos and now twitter for your thoughts (or what they call micro thoughts/blogs which happens to be plain text). Like you rightly said they are all ‘time-pass’ and don’t add any value/utility to our lives.

So a set of such ‘time passing’ sites will be around and popular for every 4 years and then the next set with the new web X.0 technology takes on. What I’ve felt about all this is that people just need to spend time on the net, they love spending time on the net and these companies are focusing on ‘how to get a slice of their time-on-net’. And humans naturally get bored with stuff they do ‘just for fun’.

By: Spring68

Spring68 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:58:15 +0000

Interesting viewpoint but can’t help feeling, even as a non techie, that merits and value
of Twitter are yet to be fully appreciated or monetized.

Twitter is enabling individual to become advocates, publishers, journalists – a chance to become famous, be listened to and be valued. Ability to reach out and influence others, perfect strangers from all over the world, will always have a power and value all it’s own.

Twitter will undoubtedly change but it is just another stage in the process of self expression and the development of the individual to become true to themselves.