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You're focusing on the technology of twitter, which isn't exciting or innovative at all. What's interesting about twitter is that they've made it extremely sim

You're focusing on the technology of twitter, which isn't exciting or innovative at all. What's interesting about twitter is that they've made it extremely simple and accessible for non-techies, who have no idea what IRC or NNTP are, and don't care. As a result, it's breaking into the mainstream and rapidly becoming the "live database of everything happening in the world". Could this have been done with IRC? Probably. But it wasn't.

gnaritas 18y ago
I'm a software developer, of course I'm focusing on the technology, I can't help it. So let me ask you this, how can a developer try and see things from the perspective of not looking at the tech more effectively?
- steveklabnik 18y ago
  For me, it comes down to my parents. My parents are open to trying new technologies, but they aren't particularly technically skilled. They've been around tech all their lives, but they were never the ones that were into it. A large portion of my uncles and on both sides were, so they've had a lot of exposure. But they're unaware of a lot of the details. Anyway, I've found out that I can learn a lot about how technology interacts with people by talking to them about it. Recently, I've had a few interesting web site ideas, and, after talking to them about it, I've learned what parts of ideas are complicated and what parts are not. Focusing on the simpler aspects means they're more likely to understand (and therefore use) whatever it is I'll eventually build. So, possibly try to think about ideas that way. If you were a user, how would you think about the tech? Someone recently commented on the fact that even though I was sitting at a computer, I pulled out my phone to tweet about something interesting that just happened. I think this shows Twitter's genius: us young whippersnappers are already addicted to text messaging, and Twitter is the perfect application for texting. Not all services work well through SMS, but Twitter does. Look at its popularity in Japan. This means quite a few people already know how to use it, and some people start their Twitter accounts via phone, and never use it in any other way.
  - gnaritas 18y ago
    A. I still don't think twitter is genius and I'm only 34, so I don't feel that I'm just too old. > I pulled out my phone to tweet about something interesting that just happened. B. Why? I don't understand the personality type who finds publicly announcing their every little thought as something attractive. Kids these days seem to think all this social connection is such a great thing but from what I see they're all broken and can't do anything alone without first bouncing the idea of 10 friends for social approval. Has there ever been a more insecure generation? Truly giving meaning to the word "sheeple". Kids these days have virtually no focus and don't appear to think deeply about anything because they're so continually distracted by texting, cell phones, twittering, that they can't sit still for 2 hours to watch a film and actually pay attention enough to enjoy it. I take my 15 year old daughter to a movie, of her choosing, and I want to smash her phone into the ground and strap her head to the back of chair just to make her pay attention to the damed movie that she picked and is making me watch.
    - ryanwaggoner 18y ago
      Sigh...another "kids these days" rant? Really? Every generation thinks that the generation after them is going down the tubes. It's bullshit, just like it was when the people from the generation before yours whined about people your age. Generations change and adapt to the social conditions of their era...kids these days have problems, sure, but so does every generation. Some of what you're talking about just comes with maturity. You were probably a lot more annoying and immature at 15 than you remember.
      - gnaritas 18y ago
        You know, not all "kids these days" rants are wrong or just old people not understanding. These new communications mediums we have available to us will have both positive and negative consequences. Many such rants are trying to point out some of the apparent negative consequences; it's naive to assume that we understand the potential side effects all this technology will have on future generations and it's ignorant to refuse to discuss them because previous generations also bitched about "kids these days". I didn't say the next generation was going down the tubes, I said they were broken and seemed to have less ability to focus deeply than people my age seemed to have at that age. I'm sure in other ways they're more advanced than we were, such as computer skills and social skills. Rather than just blowing off my statement as another rant, try replying to it with an actual argument because bullshit it is not. As a father, I have every right to be worried about the next generation and much first hand experience witnessing it. Try to unplug a kid these days, make them go outside and play, entertain themselves without computers, tv, and cellphones and constant connection to their virtual friends on myspace. It's fucking scary, they can't do it, they don't know to entertain themselves or be alone.
- ryanwaggoner 18y ago
  Build something and then go find some regular non-technical people and watch them try to use it. Go to starbucks and show it to people. Ask your family and friends to play with it. It'll be painful at first, but you'll learn a lot. Ultimately, I'm a big fan of finding a design / UI person who really knows their stuff. The difference is incredible.

gnaritas 18y ago

I'm a software developer, of course I'm focusing on the technology, I can't help it. So let me ask you this, how can a developer try and see things from the perspective of not looking at the tech more effectively?

steveklabnik 18y ago
For me, it comes down to my parents. My parents are open to trying new technologies, but they aren't particularly technically skilled. They've been around tech all their lives, but they were never the ones that were into it. A large portion of my uncles and on both sides were, so they've had a lot of exposure. But they're unaware of a lot of the details. Anyway, I've found out that I can learn a lot about how technology interacts with people by talking to them about it. Recently, I've had a few interesting web site ideas, and, after talking to them about it, I've learned what parts of ideas are complicated and what parts are not. Focusing on the simpler aspects means they're more likely to understand (and therefore use) whatever it is I'll eventually build. So, possibly try to think about ideas that way. If you were a user, how would you think about the tech? Someone recently commented on the fact that even though I was sitting at a computer, I pulled out my phone to tweet about something interesting that just happened. I think this shows Twitter's genius: us young whippersnappers are already addicted to text messaging, and Twitter is the perfect application for texting. Not all services work well through SMS, but Twitter does. Look at its popularity in Japan. This means quite a few people already know how to use it, and some people start their Twitter accounts via phone, and never use it in any other way.
- gnaritas 18y ago
  A. I still don't think twitter is genius and I'm only 34, so I don't feel that I'm just too old. > I pulled out my phone to tweet about something interesting that just happened. B. Why? I don't understand the personality type who finds publicly announcing their every little thought as something attractive. Kids these days seem to think all this social connection is such a great thing but from what I see they're all broken and can't do anything alone without first bouncing the idea of 10 friends for social approval. Has there ever been a more insecure generation? Truly giving meaning to the word "sheeple". Kids these days have virtually no focus and don't appear to think deeply about anything because they're so continually distracted by texting, cell phones, twittering, that they can't sit still for 2 hours to watch a film and actually pay attention enough to enjoy it. I take my 15 year old daughter to a movie, of her choosing, and I want to smash her phone into the ground and strap her head to the back of chair just to make her pay attention to the damed movie that she picked and is making me watch.
  - ryanwaggoner 18y ago
    Sigh...another "kids these days" rant? Really? Every generation thinks that the generation after them is going down the tubes. It's bullshit, just like it was when the people from the generation before yours whined about people your age. Generations change and adapt to the social conditions of their era...kids these days have problems, sure, but so does every generation. Some of what you're talking about just comes with maturity. You were probably a lot more annoying and immature at 15 than you remember.
    - gnaritas 18y ago
      You know, not all "kids these days" rants are wrong or just old people not understanding. These new communications mediums we have available to us will have both positive and negative consequences. Many such rants are trying to point out some of the apparent negative consequences; it's naive to assume that we understand the potential side effects all this technology will have on future generations and it's ignorant to refuse to discuss them because previous generations also bitched about "kids these days". I didn't say the next generation was going down the tubes, I said they were broken and seemed to have less ability to focus deeply than people my age seemed to have at that age. I'm sure in other ways they're more advanced than we were, such as computer skills and social skills. Rather than just blowing off my statement as another rant, try replying to it with an actual argument because bullshit it is not. As a father, I have every right to be worried about the next generation and much first hand experience witnessing it. Try to unplug a kid these days, make them go outside and play, entertain themselves without computers, tv, and cellphones and constant connection to their virtual friends on myspace. It's fucking scary, they can't do it, they don't know to entertain themselves or be alone.
ryanwaggoner 18y ago
Build something and then go find some regular non-technical people and watch them try to use it. Go to starbucks and show it to people. Ask your family and friends to play with it. It'll be painful at first, but you'll learn a lot. Ultimately, I'm a big fan of finding a design / UI person who really knows their stuff. The difference is incredible.