I'd really like to just type up this whole article. I don't use Twitter but I think it makes sense. However, typing it up is definitely copyright infringement, so here's basically what it says:
People's perception is that Twitter is a vain waste of time equivalent to reading a trashy magazine or gossiping on the phone. It's one of the 50 most popular websites in the world, but it has no real value.
The reality is that Twitter is an important medium for news and politics. News stories are often reported on Twitter first and then picked up by the media. Twitter is also useful in measuring public opinion. The book cites James Buck as an example. He was arrested in Egypt, but was able to send updates on his condition to Twitter and was subsequently released the next day. It also notes that updates on terrorist attacks in India came from eyewitnesses tweeting, and that Twitter was the one of the only forms of communication available to Iranian protestors when their government shut down most internet outlets.
I don't have twitter because I think it is a bit vain, and I just really don't want another account to maintain; but I think it definitely has value.
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