Hmmm...many comments stated in the article sound like someone clinging to old legacy not for utility but for mere nostalgia... "Twitter is a communications marv

Hmmm...many comments stated in the article sound like someone clinging to old legacy not for utility but for mere nostalgia... "Twitter is a communications marvel..." << No, I feel the internet and the web running over it are communications marvels with applications like twitter simply being an (as in, one of many) application that was somewhat useful back in the day. "Twitter is not yet treated as hallowed, but it has the makings of an institution that could be." << I struggle to classify any application that artificially constraints its messaging to 140 characters, as anything that could be considered "an institution". There's something good to be said for being succinct but 140 characters - nowadays - is just silly, i think. Mind you, not just because it limits the initial message, but I believe it drastically limits the possibility for further discourse and discussion. "Twitter is the first draft of journalism." << I disagree. I would argue that systems like BBS or even early blogs represent truer electronic representations of "the first draft of journalism". I fail to see why journalism needs to feel beholden to a single, monolithic company. What about the Internat Archive and its wayback machine? I actually feel that might be a good (though not the only) representation of journalism - albeit inclusive of "civilian journalism". "This computer-science problem — filtering out trolls — remains as difficult...technology would not only win back the advertisers who are fleeing because of trolls, but also, if shared, enable newspapers to reopen their comments’ sections at their own websites, promoting the airing of differing views in public space." << While I can't speak to the advertising aspect, here's one method to provide for airing of different views while helping to de-anonymize trolls (at least a little, which might lessen their flames): don't have everyone jump into yet another walled garden; instead have everyone build up their own decentralized social network presence. So everyone has a presence online - either managed through their own website which runs a decentralized social network application/software, or maybe they pay a small fee to group onto a small community...this would help mitigate from a single platform failing and bringing down the whole "first draft journalism". This would also give each user the freedom to express themselves - without any constraints from twitter, etc. Its not perfect, and i'm sure there would be problems, but i feel this is the better direction forward.