Twitter was not invented by hotshot entrepreneurs. It was modeled on TXTmob, a tool activists designed for the protests at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Real innovation comes from participatory experimentation, not profiteering.

Billionaires ruin everything they touch.

https://crimethinc.com/TwitterBought

The Billionaire and the Anarchists

Tracing Twitter from its grassroots origins as a protest tool to Musk's acquisition—a history of the capitalist takeover of the internet in microcosm.

CrimethInc.

@CrimethInc

TXTmob and Twitter
https://medium.com/@tadhirsch/txtmob-and-twitter-a-reply-to-nick-bilton-eedbde2abbcd
“Twitter’s roots can be traced back to the 2004 Republican National Convention, when protesters relied on custom-built software to coordinate actions, report on police movements, and share their whereabouts.”

TXTmob and Twitter: A Reply to Nick Bilton - Tad Hirsch - Medium

A brief history of activist communication platform TXTmob's influence on the design of Twitter, and some reflections on technology creation myths.

Medium
@SteveGarfield @CrimethInc this is such a cool piece of history. I totally missed that, although i do remember reading about the protests. More recently there was a similar app called fireChat. I wonder if they’re still around. It was a Bluetooth connection meant to relay messages through crowds, such as protests when cell service might be blocked or to avoid data tracking. Pretty cool idea. But you needed critical mass of users in proximity.