Friday 3 June 2011

Short and tweet

If Bob Dylan were a more prodigious tweeter, he might well amend his most famous line and slowly type out 'the social media times, they are a'changing.' For Twitter has never been bigger news, both in everyday mundane use (telling us what you ate for tea), and also as a catalyst for provoking change and creating a talking shop whereby you can speak directly to thousands or even millions of people.

Time Out recently highlighted the 20 most popular Twitter users in the region, and it made me think of the consequences 160 characters can have. They were vital in instigating the Arab uprising, have been a vital tool for Iranians trying to tell their side of the story during the recent revolts when there was a blanket ban against traditional media and a simple sentence online has sparked much-needed constitutional debate in the UK parliament following the Ryan Giggs debacle. On a local level (and far more superficial level), it's a pivotal way of getting the latest on your favourite club night - that would be *warning, gratuitous plug coming* http://twitter.com/SYNF

It's also given me renewed enthusiasm for Twitter, and I don't just see it as a time-waster inbetween work (or instead), but as a genuinely exciting platform. Just don't expect me to break any super injunctions any time soon.

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