What is Twitter?

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34858360.post-81696948487528051022008-03-25T01:14:00.006-04:002008-03-25T01:33:40.202-04:002008-03-25T01:33:40.202-04:00What is Twitter?<a href="http://wtfistwitter.com/" title="wtft by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3062/2313833094_d5eee46cc8.jpg" alt="wtft" height="77" width="500" /></a> WTF is <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>? At one point during <a href="http://romeda.org/">Blaine Cook</a>'s (@<a href="http://twitter.com/blaine">blaine</a>) talk at <a href="http://www.futureofwebapps.com/">FOWA</a> last month, he mentioned that the twitter team still doesnt know what twitter is or what it will be. Thats when I had the idea for <a href="http://wtfistwitter.com/">WTFisTwitter.com</a> People interact with twitter differently. So I decided to record ppl explainng what Twitter was to them. Some of the responses echoed my own feelings about twitter, while others surprised me. For example both Hugh Macleod and Alex Harris got rides to SXSW with the help of Twitter. Hugh Macleod (@<a href="http://twitter.com/gapingvoid">gapingvoid</a>) got a ride from Dallas to Austin <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=762625&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=762625&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/762625/l:embed_762625">Twitter according to Hugh MacLeod</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_762625">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_762625">Vimeo</a>. Alex Harris (@<a href="http://twitter.com/alexdesigns">alexdesigns</a>) got a ride from Houston to Austin <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=762742&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=762742&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/762742/l:embed_762742">Twitter according to Alex Harris</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_762742">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_762742">Vimeo</a>. When Scott Beale (@<a href="http://twitter.com/laughingsquid">laughingsquid</a>)changed the location of his party, when he heard there was a line at that venue. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsgalpert/2359365939/" title="Twitter / Scott Beale: Ginger Man is packed, we ar... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2359365939_708fc17c02.jpg" alt="Twitter / Scott Beale: Ginger Man is packed, we ar..." height="165" width="500" /></a> Thats why he thinks Twitter is a people mover. <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="500" height="377" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=772725&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"> <param name="quality" value="best" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> <param name="scale" value="showAll" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=772725&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" /></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/772725/l:embed_772725">Twitter according to Scott Beale</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_772725">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_772725">Vimeo</a>. But, to understand the gravitas of that statement you have to meet <a href="http://www.GaryVaynerchuk.com">Gary Vaynerchuk</a> (@<a href="http://twitter.com/garyvee">garyvee</a>) <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=776689&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=776689&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/776689/l:embed_776689">Twitter according to Gary Vaynerchuk</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/user398402/l:embed_776689">WTF is Twitter</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_776689">Vimeo</a>. GaryVee scheduled multiple wine shindigs over the past couple weeks, exclusively using twitter <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsgalpert/2359323107/" title="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: Huge free wine event at mar... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2050/2359323107_c1c00ca902.jpg" alt="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: Huge free wine event at mar..." height="153" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsgalpert/2360157496/" title="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: http://www.corkandco.com/ 3... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2402/2360157496_37ef456816.jpg" alt="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: http://www.corkandco.com/ 3..." height="192" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsgalpert/2359328645/" title="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: Official invite: @scobleize... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2414/2359328645_1744f26060.jpg" alt="Twitter / Gary Vaynerchuk: Official invite: @scobleize..." height="206" width="500" /></a> and <a href="http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9889445-36.html">rumor has it</a>, the <a href="http://laughingsquid.com/gary-vaynerchuks-wine-library-tv-sxsw-meetup-at-cork-co/">parties</a> were <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2008/03/23/wine-and-web-party-thanks-to-twitter-and-deloach-winery/">awesome</a>. Beyond just answering "What are you doing?" twitter has become the new <a href="http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/">OverheardinNewYork</a> <a href="http://tweetscan.com/index.php?s=OH%3A&u=">just search for OH: via TweetScan</a> <a href="http://tantek.com"> Tantek</a> (@<a href="http://twitter.com/t">t</a>) uses twitter for food reviews Reviews: <a href="http://twitter.com/t/statuses/689082602" title="Twitter / Tantek Çelik: review item:Real Food Daily... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/2359264381_4e43a9e7dd.jpg" alt="Twitter / Tantek Çelik: review item:Real Food Daily..." height="201" width="500" /></a> (how does he get those stars??) While Max (@<a href="http://twitter.com/maxkiesler">maxkiesler</a>) proposes to Emily (@<a href="http://twitter.com/emilychang">emilychang</a>) via Twitter. <a href="http://twitter.com/maxkiesler/statuses/774352312" title="Twitter / maxkiesler: To @emilychang - After fift... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2360021698_d8cbf9befa.jpg" alt="Twitter / maxkiesler: To @emilychang - After fift..." height="189" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/emilychang/statuses/774352570" title="Twitter / emily chang: @maxkiesler - yes, i do! by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/2360023630_b9b8951fb7.jpg" alt="Twitter / emily chang: @maxkiesler - yes, i do!" height="153" width="500" /></a> <a href="http://www.guykawasaki.com/"> Guy Kawasaki</a> crowdsources urls for his startup AllTop using Twitter <a href="http://tweetscan.com/index.php?s=your%20favorite&u=guykawasaki" title="crowdsourcing twitter by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3150/2359494487_bf1939f3d5.jpg" alt="crowdsourcing twitter" height="500" width="407" /></a> and <a href="http://www.calacanis.com">Jason Calacanis</a> uses twitter as a mahalo focus group <a href="http://twitter.com/JasonCalacanis/statuses/776308950" title="Twitter / Jason Calacanis: @tamera:the contest is most... by Michael S Galpert, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2359247161_15613efe2c.jpg" alt="Twitter / Jason Calacanis: @tamera:the contest is most..." height="222" width="500" /></a> --- Twitter hasn't marketed its beauty to the masses yet. I hope they dont go with <a href="http://andrewparker.net">Andrew</a> (<a href="http://www.unionsquareventures.com">USV</a> Associate) and <a href="http://evhead.com">Evan</a>'s (Twitter Founder) uber geeky explanations. (@<a href="http://twitter.com/AndrewParker">AndrewParker</a>) <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=775555&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=775555&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/775555/l:embed_775555">Twitter According to Andrew Parker</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_775555">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_775555">Vimeo</a>. (@<a href="http://twitter.com/Ev">Ev</a>) <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=775597&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=775597&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/775597/l:embed_775597">Twitter according to Evan Williams</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_775597">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_775597">Vimeo</a>. <a href="http://avc.blogs.com">Fred Wilson</a>(@<a href="http://twitter.com/fredwilson">fredwilson</a>), on the other hand is trying his darnest to <a href="http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/03/my-facebook-kid.html">convince his kids on the awesomeness that is twitter.</a> This will be an ongoing and evolving project. For now my favorite answer is by @<a href="http://twitter.com/arielwaldman">arielwaldman</a> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=773066&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" height="377" width="500"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=773066&server=www.vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"></object> <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/773066/l:embed_773066">Twitter according to Ariel Waldman</a> from <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/michaelgalpert/l:embed_773066">michael galpert</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/l:embed_773066">Vimeo</a>.) Feel free to leave your thoughts on WTFisTwitter in the comments or via twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/iswtf">isWTF</a> and if you want to follow my own rambling you can follow @<a href="http://twitter.com/msg">msg</a>Michael Galperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07031849513040014716noreply@blogger.com3