I think it has transitioned from band-aid to design feature (when Twitter officially started using it) and then it transitioned once more. In the last transitio

I think it has transitioned from band-aid to design feature (when Twitter officially started using it) and then it transitioned once more. In the last transition, it has become more like an emoticon and can be used where hashtags don't make technical sense but do convey something extra. For example, I was having a Gmail chat with someone the other day and they said "I just ordered six boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. #fatty"