Twitter: A Novel Messaging Protocol
2025-01-19
In April 2009, many questioned Twitter's significance. The article argues that Twitter's importance stems from its novelty as a messaging protocol where recipients aren't specified. New protocols are rare, successful ones even rarer; think TCP/IP, SMTP, HTTP. A new protocol is inherently a big deal. However, Twitter's private ownership makes it even more unique. Interestingly, the founders' slow monetization might be an advantage. Lack of heavy-handed control makes Twitter feel like established protocols, obscuring its private ownership and likely aiding its spread.
Tech
Protocol