Twitter is a free social-networking service that invites users to read and send short status messages and updates, called “tweets,” that are circulated via many different channels, including SMS, Web, mobile Web, desktop applications, and mobile applications. Unlike email, tweets are intended as ambient communication— the recipient of a tweet is not necessarily expected to respond. Twitter users choose to “follow” other people in the network and receive updates from them. Your followers could know you personally or they could be interested in your point of view on a particular subject.
Sometimes called “micro-blogging,” tweeting is defining the next generation of social media. By limiting the length of each message to 140 characters, Twitter created a rapid-fire medium that is used for everything from personal communication to on-the-ground real-time news reporting. Since the disputed 2009 elections in Iran, protesters have widely documented their dissent via Twitter, drawing international attention to unfolding events. While Iranian authorities were able to successfully block text messages sent via mobile phones, protesters found ways to circumvent barriers imposed on tweets.
Twitter was introduced in 2006 as a side project by a San Francisco firm named Obvious. Incorporated as Twitter Inc. in 2007, the service quickly gained notoriety as a popular way to share and explore information on the Internet. It has also become a powerful branding tool, used by companies, celebrities, and politicians to promote themselves, their products, and their opinions. President Obama’s 2008 election campaign used Twitter as well as Facebook and YouTube to build excitement and awareness among supporters. From its playful name, logo, and cheerful bird illustrations to its tidy, customizable user pages, Twitter’s interface design embraces simplicity but not austerity.
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