Is it a social network or a
content distribution platform? CEO of Twitter Evan Williams doesn't seem to
think it's a social network.
A social network is a piece of technology that facilitates communication
through existing social connections. You can share messages, photos and events
with your friends, people you already know. Facebook is designed for
"strong" connections, people you actually know well in real life.
A content distribution platform is a system that provides users with relevant
information and links, and that gives content publishers a way to get their
content to interested consumers. TV is probably the most obvious example, but
RSS is a web-based version.
Twitter
as a Distribution Platform
The argument for Twitter as a content distribution platform is obvious. With
media companies like CNN posting their links to over a million users, tweeting
is certainly an effective way for publishers to disseminate their content.
Twitter
as a Social Network
The argument for Twitter as a social network is also quite obvious. Twitter
emphasizes "weak" connections or people you know only a little from
real life or even purely online friends and allows you to keep track of what
they're doing and engage in conversations.
And
the Data?
The data we uncovered in the second version of the State of the Twittersphere
shows both sides of this debate. On one hand, many accounts on Twitter either
have no followers or have never posted a tweet, meaning that many users are
simply following their favorite celebrities or media outlets to get content.
On the other hand, over 30% of all tweets are replies. This means that when
people do start actually using the service, they are using it to converse with
their "weak" connections. Active users are leveraging the social
network aspect of Twitter.
What
do you think? Is Twitter best used as a social network or a content
distribution platform?
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