Twitter’s Real Edge: It’s not Scary

The notion that Twitter seems safer than MySpace or Facebook is pretty silly, or at least would be difficult to prove. Twitter appeals to celebrities because it is the first popular social network that allows for celebrity within its system. Oprah, for example, has 603,791 followers but in turn only follows 11 people (all of whom are recognizable by the public). This is the celebrity's dream come true: their popularity measured and laid bare for all to see.

"In many of the more relaxed civilizations on the Outer Eastern Rim of the Galaxy, the Hitchhiker's Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Galactica as the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom ... it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper; and secondly it has the words Don't Panic inscribed in large friendly letters on its cover."

Twitter's combination of soft colors, clouds, and overall relaxed philosophy put people at ease in a way that makes the Internet not seem like quite so scary of a place. Also, while the architecture does basically support stalking, it effectively eliminates predators, as one click can make sure you never hear from that person again.

I dare Mrs. Lacy, just once, to author an article in which she doesn't cite herself. That Amazon affiliate link in the opening sentence--classy. Jurinalism at its best. Oh wait, this is TechCrunch. Nevermind. Birds of a feather...