Your point on "public conversation" is spot on. Twitter revives something which harkens to to the colonial period in the cold Northeast. When entrepreneurs and public officials gathered in the pub and for the price of a beer got free stew and even freer conversation and debate. Conversations were both public and intimate.
Twitter creates what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg (http://bit.ly/9czq) called "third places" (http://bit.ly/13mQw) - places other than work or home. It just so happens that Twitter, as a third-place, exists outside the meat-world. So we can be in our first and second places and simultaneously in the 3rd that is Twitter.
tweetip
· 11 months ago
We feel Twitter is introducing us collectively to a 4th place too.
jonsteinberg
· 11 months ago
When you next in ny? Let's get coffee
fredwilson
· 11 months ago
this is a big and bold statement and i agree with it, of course.
blogging got close, but the addition of short and mobile make all the difference in the world
i think we are only starting to see the innovation in this space and i don't think twitter will end up with all the value. there will be plenty of value to go around.
just as there will be businesses more valuable than facebook built on top of facebook, there will be plenty of value built on top of twitter.
grahammudd
· 11 months ago
Enjoyed the post. Went into it admittedly skeptical and came away thinking you may just have a point. Thanks.
Giannii
· 11 months ago
Twitter is an amazing tool.
gerry campbell
· 11 months ago
Giannii, there should be 3 comments on this post... lost somewhere in the ether...
All Comments
Twitter creates what the sociologist Ray Oldenburg (http://bit.ly/9czq) called "third places" (http://bit.ly/13mQw) - places other than work or home. It just so happens that Twitter, as a third-place, exists outside the meat-world. So we can be in our first and second places and simultaneously in the 3rd that is Twitter.
blogging got close, but the addition of short and mobile make all the difference in the world
i think we are only starting to see the innovation in this space and i don't think twitter will end up with all the value. there will be plenty of value to go around.
just as there will be businesses more valuable than facebook built on top of facebook, there will be plenty of value built on top of twitter.
Thanks,
G
FIXED - Many thanks. Disqus is great.