Two Weeks with Twitter

Perceptive readers who physically visit this site (as opposed to reading the RSS feed like I do) perhaps noticed the new feature on the right: "What's Arlo Doing?" I mean, what better definition of "Like You Really Care" than to periodically inform you of what I'm doing, no matter how mundane. Right?

It's powered by a service called Twitter. In 150 characters or less, Twitterers post what they're doing, where they are, and what they're feeling right now.

But that's boring, right? We already have blogs and MySpace pages and Flickr and YouTube accounts. What could possibly make Twitter special? Why do I need another web doohickey to play with?

Because of the power and potential of its mobile applications. I can tweet from my cellphone, which I've done a few times, and I can choose to have the tweets of my friends delivered to my cellphone. Let's say I tweet, "Sitting at The Long Room drinking a pint." Anyone who has added me as friend can follow me either on the web, via IM, or on their phone; upon seeing my most recent tweet, you could say, "Hey, I'm near the Long Room, I could go meet Arlo for a drink." With the isolation that the internet has encouraged over the past ten years or so, Twitter represents what this whole Web 2.0 crap really should be. Twitter is potentially a powerful tool that could transform the virtual social networking of MySpace to real (i.e., face-to-face) social networking.

Right now, my tweets are public, but I could go private if I wanted, only allowing approved friends to read them. With that in mind, imagine if Twitter could, at a user's choosing, include GPS coordinates with tweets. I could easily see if someone is nearby. Instant flash mobs and gatherings, or even just a conversation on the train. Sure, that's creepy and Big-Brother-ish, but with the right encryption technology, it could be a fun way for friends to find each other.*

I would also love to see Twitter add a photo feature. If I can post a tweet from my cell phone—say, "Test driving a car"—I could include a photo of the car. Or "Watching a baseball game" with a photo of the hot dog I'm enjoying at the game. Sure, stupid fun taken on an individual tweet basis, but collectively, what a fascinating and complete archive of one's life.

Twitter is one of those ideas that is so simple that it's kind of revolutionary. Sure, people have been blogging and even photoblogging from their cellphones for a while, but to have a service that enables your cellphone for social interaction in such a simple fashion—and to do it in a way that's fun—that's paradigm-shifting stuff.

I encourage you to sign up for Twitter. I think it's addictive and fun but not obtrusive. And add me as a friend. Go on, do it.

*Of course, with the right encryption technology, it could be used for evil. But that's just about any technology, isn't it?