Twitter will not single-handedly save journalism. It’s also not silly and dumb. “The single greatest export on the internet–greater, even, than information–is hyperbole,” Paul Constant writes for the Stranger, and the reactions to Twitter have dolled out hyperbole with gusto. Constant, a former Utne Reader contributor, dissects the Twitter phenomenon, the backlash, and the backlash to the backlash, in messages of fewer than 140 characters. He also includes some great insights into internet culture. Here are some excerpts:
A great deal of time on the internet is spent finding different ways to say, “Oh, you didn’t know that already? Huh. I’ve known for ages.”
Here’s another truth: Nobody has any clue what’s going on. That’s why sneering at Twitter is worse than blindly loving Twitter.
Historically, very little has been accomplished by being cynical (maybe some broken hearts have been prevented, but at what cost?).
Source: The Stranger