Below is a writer’s cut to my article; published version found here. The excerpt I posted is the bulk of the original article, the rest is mostly the same.
As always, comments welcomed and appreciated.
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“Despite Facebook’s new emphasis on conversation, it is still essentially a closed network, while Twitter is the opposite. Its accessibility allows a two-way exchange between you and anyone else through web-based applications such as Tweetchat or Twitterfall. Twitter’s search feature makes use of this real-time information and enables shared experiences of big events, such as President Obama’s inauguration. It’s like a big couch for the world to watch TV on. If the Internet is the “Global Village,” then Twitter is the 21st century salon.
Twitter’s ease at encouraging debate has made it a modern parallel to the salons of 18th century France. Like the salons, Twitter still has a niche user base. There were rules of etiquette that were followed, similar to Twitter’s “@replies” and “#hashtags”. Salons encouraged the exchange of news and ideas, functioning as a major channel of communication among intellectuals. However, the salons, unlike the courts, were open to everyone, like Twitter.
Social hierarchy is disregarded and different social ranks intermingled. “The layman is learning to use his voice,” said Jennifer Zhu, fourth-year political science student. In the same way that the salons transformed into an institution of Enlightenment, Twitter can be used as a forum to exchange knowledge. “On Twitter, it’s strictly about the content you put out. The emphasis is more on content and subject matter rather than social stature,” said Patricia Wayne, a second-year comparative literature student. In this way, salons and Twitter are based on a meritocracy – your success in both spheres relied on the content you produced. No community is best served when only the elite have the knowledge and control.
Twitter ensures the availability of fact and opinion. It is another tool to broaden your network, your perspective and your ideas. It’s with these that you are able to inspire and spread your knowledge. And because Twitter is still evolving, it can cater to a wide range of interests.
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In the same way that the salons revolutionized the way of thinking by encouraging quality of content through engagement and diminished the social hierarchies, Twitter is doing the same. If salons led to the Enlightenment, what does this mean for us? I’m not sure yet, but something big.”
Great, now the line for Kogi is going to be even longer
good read! however, i didn’t even know what salons were. i kept thinking…hair cut places? what a buffoon i am. what’s funny is that, twitter to me just seems like when there was AIM and chat, and if i wanted to communicate, there was people there to communicate with, however usually strangers. now, twitter added a face to it and a background of who they are. it seems like new use of old tech, which is cool. now we wait until google buys them all and puts it all together at a one stop twitter/email/facebook/gmail machine
@Frank: Don’t worry, 99% of UCLA students probably still won’t understand what Twitter is after my article.
@neaato: Ah, that was one of the original concerns with my comparison between Twitter & salons. I think the “new use of old technology” is a common theme in a lot of other arenas as well, e.g. newspapers. I’m excited to see how Google will integrate Twitter’s live-search feature in the future too!
Really great article! I’m so used to Twitter articles all repeating the same boring description of Twitter as, “what are you doing in 140 characters”; it was nice to see you change it up by adding an element of historical contact. I had never even thought of comparing Twitter to salons, but now it seems so obvious! Keep up the great work.
@John: Thanks for the input. I definitely was trying to stray away from answering “What is Twitter/How-to” and “Why should I use it?” instead
pithy.
But I do second what Jen said about a “tertiary institution.”
–This is why we write…to educate. Isn’t it?
Les salons étaient l’épicentre du changement social et conception institutionnelle. Il n’est pas étonnant que certains (ahem) soient si sous-informés…
J’étais correct au sujet du campus du sud. Ils sont imbeciles. Que je suis blessante, non?
I love it! It’s so hard to explain to non-tweeters what Twitter is without saying “It’s kinda like a facebook status… but better.”
I think I’ll just refer non-tweeters to your article next time I’m trying to convince someone that Twitter is a worthwhile endeavor
It’s better to explain that it’s worth someone’s time than to explain how to use it. The best part about Twitter is that there’s no fixed/static way of using it–you adapt it to your own needs.
By the way, my Ochem professor is obsessed with the Kogi taco truck, I’ve never heard of it outside of lecture though