Many people made fun of it in its early years, with its boilerplate question, "What are you doing?" becoming the butt of jokes and the bane of many devotees. But Twitter "opened" to the public July 15, 2006, and while its 140-character message limit hasn't changed, its question — "What's happening?" — has, and changed everything.
While it's still a virtual place where celebs like Charlie Sheen can proclaim "winning!" and not be, Twitter has also become an important tool for those dispossessed of civil liberties, not just those taking liberties. Twitter, which can be used on most mobile phones, not just smartphones, has provided a key means for those in the Middle East seeking change to protest and to share information, from Iran to Egypt.
During earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and in Japan, Twitter was often a lifeline for communications between rescuers and those needing rescue. And just a few months ago, it was Twitter that had the first report that Osama bin Laden had been killed, when the man who was former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld's chief of staff tweeted May 2: "So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn."
We know Twitter can be a marketer's mecca, and a spammer's free-for-all, as well as a place to share gossip about last night's hottest TV shows. And we know a former congressman who probably regrets what he tweeted; apparently one in three who use Twitter feel the same about what they say.
But we also know now that it is so much more. So happy birthday, Twitter. Here are some of your stats, from your own Twitter page and blog:
- There were 224 tweets sent on July 15, 2006. "Today, users send that many tweets in less than a tenth of a second."
- "Yesterday, we saw more than 600,000 signups. It took us more than *16 months* to reach the first 600,000 Twitter accounts."
- "Halfway through 2011, users on Twitter are now sending 200 million Tweets per day. For context on the speed of Twitter’s growth, in January of 2009, users sent two million Tweets a day, and one year ago they posted 65 million a day."
Related stories:
- Casey Anthony verdict fails to crush the Internet
- Entenmann's apologizes for tasteless tweet in Anthony verdict
- Accused hotel-room wreckers post photos on Twitter
- Now comes 'Worldwide Unfollow Charlie Sheen Day'
- Twitter major means of quake communication
- Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.