Here’s a reply I left on Jay Moonah’s blog where he ponders if the sudden high volume of new Twitter users potentially could cause its demise. Thought I’d share my comment here as well:
It’s a very “traditional media” way of thinking that a popular tool is expected to be the only tool that survives. It’s also a very traditional way of thinking that we should worry if, say, Twitter becomes mainstream. People will always choose the method of communication they want to. Be it e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, sms or in person.
When the whole Oprah/Ashton/CNN events brought in a high volume of new users to Twitter in such a short time, I knew most of them would probably not “get” Twitter and abandon their accounts just as quickly. Unless, of course, the celebrities make for an engaging use of Twitter.
I doubt a mass exodus of new Twitter followers would spell the end of Twitter. Only when a better form of communication comes out that will. Heck, even *I* left Twitter for a few months when I couldn’t find a use for it back when I first signed up.
While the average person may not get Twitter, they will find something else that’s a better fit for their needs.
Giving constant attention to Twitter for it to be of any use is *probably* necessary but again, it’s the traditional way of thinking. No, I don’t need to read EVERYTHING in my Twitter stream but I do run the risk of missing things. Besides, some tweets get lost, users dropped for no reason, etc.
Which brings me to another point I’d like to make. Not everyone uses Twitter the same way as everyone.