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Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

marco.org

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Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#2
It's not just the dickbar that's offensive - it's the fact that its release along with the announcement that Twitter is going to try to limit the development of other clients against their API that really makes it distasteful.

I understand that they have a need to monetize - I get it, but to do so in such a ham-handed way really bothers me.

Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#3
Is the sms -> internet/ server -> sms pathway tied up in business patents by Twitter? I am sure I am (sort of) underestimating, but Twitter seems like a weekend project for a couple of decent hackers; if they piss enough people off is there any reason to stick with them except for (VERY non-trivial) first past the post market share?

Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#5

Is the sms -> internet/ server -> sms pathway tied up in business patents by Twitter? I am sure I am (sort of) underestimating, but Twitter seems like a weekend project for a couple of decent hackers; if they piss enough people off is there any reason to stick with them except for (VERY non-trivial) first past the post market share?

Ooh, another "it's just a weekend project!" comment.

Next step: convince everyone to use your weekend project, instead of Twitter. Allowing people to import all of their tweets and friends would be helpful, so be sure to implement that.

Next next step: Handle all of Twitter's traffic. Consistently, and you not only have to do it better than they did in the beginning, but better than they do it now.

Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#6
I agree with Marco Arment and Jeff Rock in that it is perfectly understandable that Twitter wants to monetize their business if they wish to do so, but based on their recent decisions it seems that they are taking a path that will damage their business along the way. Also, I have never understood the value of trending topics. It is just one of the many metrics inherent to how Twitter works, but it is far from the most useful metric since Twitter is so full of spam and people that have nothing useful to say (which is their good right of course).

Anyway, all this does make me curious to see how Twitter is going to change in the next few months and I hope for the best - for them and for the users.

Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#7
The funny thing is, clients like Twitterrific and Tweetie pre-Twitter takeover managed to figure out how to monetize the client years ago.

The Fusion Ads that were featured on Twitter in particular were excellent -- I actually found some the ads interesting enough to click on.

Re: Why the Quick Bar (“dickbar”) is still so offensive

#9

Is the sms -> internet/ server -> sms pathway tied up in business patents by Twitter? I am sure I am (sort of) underestimating, but Twitter seems like a weekend project for a couple of decent hackers; if they piss enough people off is there any reason to stick with them except for (VERY non-trivial) first past the post market share?

Rather than downvoting my rather heavily caveatted remarks, perhaps you could answer the question: Is there a patent encumbrance that makes this more than a technical problem?

EDIT: moved "heavily qualified" to something more idiomatic.

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