Happy 10th Birthday, Twitter!
Technology moves at a breakneck pace. The top-of-the-line laptop, or new social network of today, could be old news by tomorrow. New hardware, software and services can meet their demise rather quickly.
Sometimes, however, devices and services can be timeless. One of these tech-related evergreen services is Twitter. While I am old enough to still think of the social network as being new, today, it reaches its 10th birthday. Holy cow -- have we really experienced a decade of Tweets?
"On March 21, ten years ago, it began with a single Tweet. Since then, every moment of every day, people connect about the things they care about most -- all over the world. As we mark this milestone, it's you we want to celebrate. As March 21 begins around the world, each of our global offices will kick off the day by showing our appreciation and gratitude -- starting in Sydney and following the sun to headquarters in San Francisco. We are excited to celebrate with all of you", says Twitter.
The social network further says, "throughout the years, you've made Twitter what it is today and you're shaping what it will be in the future. Thank you for making history, driving change, lifting each other up and laughing together every day".
So, what was the first-ever Tweet? You can see that below, by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey. A simple and understated message to serve as a "hello world" of sorts.
just setting up my twttr
— Jack (@jack) March 21, 2006
The monumental 10th birthday of Twitter has even been celebrated by Apple CEO, Tim Cook.
Happy 10th Birthday @jack and everyone @twitter! ??Thanks for giving all of us the ultimate megaphone.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) March 21, 2016
Since going public, some tech pundits and financial analysts have questioned the company's stock and potential for growth. After all, while the service is wildly popular, generating money is a bit elusive -- users don't want to see ads, and any attempt to mess with the core ideology of the service is met with outrage by users. In other words, Twitter is held hostage in the past by users to the detriment of its stockholders.
It is crazy to think about, but there are teens that probably don't remember a world without Twitter. Believe it or not, yes, we somehow managed to survive without the 140 character messages. With that said, how great would it have been to have the social network during a tragedy such as 9/11? Information could have spread much better, arguably leading to less confusion.
Ultimately, Twitter is a fabulous service for what it is -- quick and short communications, aimed at sharing information with the world. For ten years, the social network has helped to spread news and fight oppression by giving a voice and outlet to those that may not have one otherwise. It is for this reason that the service deserves to be celebrated.
If you want to participate in Twitter's 10th birthday celebration with Chris Hardwick of Talking Dead and Talk Soup, you can check out the details below.
Chatting @twitter w/ @ev @jack @biz at 8a tomorrow for 10th anniv on @periscopeco! Submit Qs w/ #ChrisAsksTwitter! pic.twitter.com/MsduAWhRxu
— Chris Hardwick (@hardwick) March 20, 2016
Happy Birthday, Twitter! Here's hoping to ten more.
Photo Credit: Kalenik Hanna /Shutterstock