Comments on: Twitter Takes Tweetie. Good or bad? http://www.jansch.nl/2010/04/10/twitter-takes-tweetie-good-or-bad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=twitter-takes-tweetie-good-or-bad Just another WordPress site Wed, 03 Aug 2011 06:49:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben Ramsey http://www.jansch.nl/2010/04/10/twitter-takes-tweetie-good-or-bad/#comment-1613 Ben Ramsey Sat, 10 Apr 2010 15:38:18 +0000 http://www.jansch.nl/?p=3021#comment-1613 Ivo, you make a lot of good points, and I agree with you that Twitter has not killed the competition off. They've just made it a little harder. This is why I referred to it as "stifling" the competition, not killing it. Ideally, this could spur innovation in all Twitter clients, as they compete with the "official" client. You're also right that this isn't exactly Netscape vs. Microsoft since they haven't closed their platform or begun forcing people to download their own app as part of registration, but how far off is that? In the future, when new users register for a Twitter account, as part of the setup process will they be taken to a screen asking them to download the official Twitter app? Will they be misled into thinking it is the only Twitter client available? If this happens, then it will start smacking of Netscape vs. Microsoft. Obviously, this would be a non-issue if Twitter started from day one with their own sanctioned client. After all, that's what Plurk did, if I recall correctly, and it never really took off. Arguably, the reason Twitter has been so popular is due to the proliferation of third-party clients and an open model. If it had not been for that, then Twitter might never have gotten off the ground. Ivo, you make a lot of good points, and I agree with you that Twitter has not killed the competition off. They’ve just made it a little harder. This is why I referred to it as “stifling” the competition, not killing it. Ideally, this could spur innovation in all Twitter clients, as they compete with the “official” client.

You’re also right that this isn’t exactly Netscape vs. Microsoft since they haven’t closed their platform or begun forcing people to download their own app as part of registration, but how far off is that?

In the future, when new users register for a Twitter account, as part of the setup process will they be taken to a screen asking them to download the official Twitter app? Will they be misled into thinking it is the only Twitter client available? If this happens, then it will start smacking of Netscape vs. Microsoft.

Obviously, this would be a non-issue if Twitter started from day one with their own sanctioned client. After all, that’s what Plurk did, if I recall correctly, and it never really took off. Arguably, the reason Twitter has been so popular is due to the proliferation of third-party clients and an open model. If it had not been for that, then Twitter might never have gotten off the ground.

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