Twitter - The next killer APP?

Twitter is a micro-blogging application. So, what is micro-blogging? Think of it as a snack sized journal that you post to using either your cell-phone via text or your computer via IM or though Twitter's website. Every-time you make a post, all of your friends can elect to be notified or they can elect to login and see everyone's location whenever it is convenient.

Why the hell would I want everyone to know where I am and what I am doing you may ask? Well, some of us 'older' folk may not, but the upcoming generations are all about connectivity and this is the start of where it is at. Think of this as GPS in reverse, but with a personality you can control. Pretty soon, all of us will be able to be located via GPS from our phones, in much the same way that we can find our location using a GPS device. With GPS, the world is a cold place and we are all just a number. With an application like Twitter, we have control over how the world sees us vs. letting the world define us. This is an extremely important distinction and big perception shift. We take control of ourselves as a brand, so be careful what you write.

This may sound crazy, but I have personally been able to spot trends and make stock choices based on watching the habits of users from around the world. If the music industry wants to find their way out of the mess they are in, they should start tracking Twitter chat. I'll leave it at that.

A sure sign that this is all catching on is the rapidly developing community of application developers who support Twitter such as:

Twitter Search: Search and compare what people are talking about or doing. Are there more Apple vs. Dell conversations for example?: http://twitterment.umbc.edu/
Twitter Maps: Watch chat real time around the world. Imagine if this came with a translation tool, could we diffuse misunderstanding?: http://twittermap.com/maps
Twittbin: Toolbar for Firefox: http://www.twitbin.com/
Twitteroo: Toolbar for PC's: http://rareedge.com/twitteroo/

To follow Twitter mash-ups see: http://twitter.com/mashable

So, why is this the next killer app? Simply because upcoming generations do not only want to stay in touch and be connected 24/7, but they want to continue to be in control over how others see and perceive them. This is the start of personal branding on the go...

For more specific information on Twitter, the blog Mediashift has written a comprehensive article on the application itself and all you can do with it. You can view that post here.

Check out Twitter online at: http://twitter.com/
Check out Twitter for mobile devices at: http://m.twitter.com/home
For the only true competitor to Twitter go to: http://jaiku.com/

If you are really bored and want to follow what me and my friends are doing, go here: http://twitter.com/sadude/with_friends
(I may be responsible for who I choose to be friends with, but I am not responsible for what my friends do :-)