Comments on: Twitter in Shortlist Magazine – Twitter the Search Engine

By: Ollie

Ollie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:23:29 +0000

Thanks Laurence, the blog needs some good tweaks, but I just had to post this on the net as I was just watching all these people talk about twitter but miss a point! So wanted to air mine

By: laurence

laurence — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:01:55 +0000

Forgot to say, great blog ! I love the design & cool features you have integrated into the page. Well done

By: Ollie

Ollie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:53:22 +0000

Thanks Wio! I think this will potentially be the way forward, let Twitter collect all the people and eventually they will be taking about anything and everything. It will become big, although it could go many ways… I suppose… watch this space. p.s Hope you’re well!

By: laurence

laurence — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:52:05 +0000

buy shares :p

By: Wio

Wio — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:46:20 +0000

Twitter Search is a fascinating tool. I agree with Laurence: nobody is talking about cheap red trousers (I checked ) but you get to see what thousands of people all over the world ARE talking about – it makes Google’s Zeitgeist look somewhat dated!
nice one Olly!

By: Ollie

Ollie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:11:43 +0000

Yea good point, although currently it is more of a niche geeky spread of people. Although if there was a separate alternative search to Google with a database of everyone’s tweets across the world whether they are writing about “oh I found this new gadget” or simply “check out this new red dress I just found on Shopzilla (with a link)”

Then I think the scope for this is more promising than Google for marketing purposes. It just needs everyones participation, and it seems to be getting there. Real time direct marketing.

Then all twitter need is a Search Engine Results page like Google, monetise the Sponsored Links and then there you have it. A strong, if not better alternative to Google.

(I want a cut for this idea Mr Twitter)

By: laurence

laurence — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:32:57 +0000

Great point. Although, I would argue your intention when you did this search query, you were looking for something specific to get fixed ….But what about people who don’t know what they’re looking for? Browsing the web? Searching for a good deal like ‘cheap second hand red trousers’ or ‘mobile phone cheap price’? Google still deliver better and faster results.

Twitter is as good as what people are talking about. My concern is if people are more into celebrity than science (which is probably the case..) then Twitter will display so many conversation about the 1rst topic and none on the 2nd one…

However, its so nice to see some serious competition in the search engines world @ last!

Follow me @lozbzh

By: Ollie

Ollie — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:00:58 +0000

Very true, and thanks for the reply, it’s a valid point and also worth pointing out that this (shortlist) is going out to the masses, and not just computer geeks like me, but I felt the need to highlight that there is more to twitter than meets the eye Thanks for the comment, interesting discussion!

By: Jamie Klingler

Jamie Klingler — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:57:20 +0000

I’m the photo director at ShortList, but these are my opinions, so I’m not speaking on behalf of the whole team here.

Good points made. The major purpose of the article was to ask the questions rather than to just attack the people that have been using twitter currently. I’ve read tons of articles about whether Twitter was just full of narcissists and from journos who had tried to be on it for a month with no followers and without following anyone and then said it didn’t work.

As an avid twitterer, I’m glad we did the article and went to someone who religiously uses the site (@paulcarr) obviously we only had three pages but there is the danger that all of us who have used it up until the tipping point will move to the next vehicle (ala friendster to myspace to facebook to twitter).

@photogirluk