I think one of the biggest reasons for Twitter's success has been the users it attracts (in chronological order): 1. Geeks - were not put off by 140char limit,

I think one of the biggest reasons for Twitter's success has been the users it attracts (in chronological order): 1. Geeks - were not put off by 140char limit, abstract usernames, @-syntax, and appreciated the openness of the API. Blogs like Techcrunch loved it because it is an extra distribution channel for their content = Huge media coverage in the tech media. 2. Celebrities/Media - It's ideally suited for this - in fact it could have been launched as a stand-alone product for celebs to communicate with their audience. Because celebrities were using it = heavy coverage in the mainstream media. 3. Social media types - because of the media coverage, and the usage of the above two groups, social media people began trumpeting that Twitter was/is something special = business taking an interest. 4. The rest of the world - I don't think we're at this stage, and I don't think we will be. It seems to me that most people use twitter to push their content - they aren't really engaged in a conversation, and following someone really means nothing. I don't know any 'normal' people who use Twitter. Every person I know uses Facebook.