Comments on: Twitter Users Cling to It Like a Safety Blanket

By: brianjesse

brianjesse — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:13:55 +0000

After I wrote this comment I decided to try to create a solution that would improve the Twitter API password problem. http://tweetpass.com is a new service which can hand out disposable Twitter passwords, but 3rd-party Twitter sites will have to implement it before it's useful to anyone. The project is now in early-alpha status and i've asked the Twitter-developers mailing list for feedback.

By: Rahsheen

Rahsheen — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:12:16 +0000

Sounds interesting. I guess this is an option until Twitter implements
OAuth….someday.

By: brianjesse

brianjesse — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:13:55 +0000

By: Kelly Brown

Kelly Brown — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:45:54 +0000

I think it's just that some folks just don't like change. I am having a real problem getting people away from MySpace and try Twitter, but they just don't understand it and really don't want to, because they've been at MySpace for so long, they are afraid of change. Sheesh! WHYYY! I love change, and trying shiny new stuff as well as branching out in many directions. It could be the Gemini in me, but I just don't understand it. It boggles my mind! Peace, Rahsheen!

By: brianjesse

brianjesse — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:22:44 +0000

Great post, I've commented on FF before about how Twitter users [love] their service, not unlike Mac users. I won't say "fanboy". oh damn I did. the great "design" that inspires Apple-love is also at work IMHO, and yeah, a lot of friends are there. very sticky.

Anyway, the timing of your post is funny since you end with "just plug in in their Twitter credentials and go" and today Twitter is suffering an epic phishing scam as a result of inadequate security in the Twitter API.

Which leads me to mention the [other] big reason, other than familiarity, that people stick with it. The API is ubiquitously implemented and drives a lot of usage. http://identi.ca/zach even cloned the back end so that Twitter tools can be used on the http://openmicroblogging.org network.

But the Twitter API needs OAuth before what you described can be done safely. Chris Messina has an amazingly comprehensive new article up just yesterday for anyone who wants to catch up with the latest technology in social API passwords :-) http://cli.gs/js9uSh

By: Soulpower

Soulpower — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 00:02:03 +0000

The question works. I likey. Post not bad either Now show me how to make a My Profiles list and dismiss me from class.

By: Rahsheen

Rahsheen — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 23:13:09 +0000

Hah! Thanks for stopping by. I'm actually using MyBlogLog for that. Easy as
pie. It will even help you find your accounts on all the services you're on.

By: Trail

Trail — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 22:49:31 +0000

I really enjoyed your post. In fact I enjoy all of the articles you post. It's funny how you always seem to write about things I need to learn about. I've been apart of twitter for a while now but never really did anything with it until I started reading your posts about it. Look forward to reading more in the future.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:44:00 +0000

Hi Rahsheen,

I think Twitter is like a bar scene and many users will jump ship as soon as something better comes along. So far. Nothing has.

I enjoyed reading what Tim O”Reilly says about Twitter longevity in this interview:

http://blog.iampaddy.com/2008/12/24/how-do-you-twitter-tim-oreilly/

“Will we still be tweeting in 5 years? No. There will be better tools”