Microblogs give you the network effect - which is not an insurmountable problem with forum software, it's just one that hasn't really been explored effectively.

Microblogs give you the network effect - which is not an insurmountable problem with forum software, it's just one that hasn't really been explored effectively. So, "reach". The other part of it, I think, is that microblogs are quantity over quality. It's not mutually exclusive, of course. You'll see deep-dives in microblogs, and meaningless drivel on forums, but the system itself is built in such a way to promote either long-form content, or not. It's much easier to fire off a thought with minimal substance on a microblog. Not that that's a bad thing at all - sometimes a fleeting thought shouted into the wind is what you really want.