CrimethInc. Ex-WorkersNov 11, 2022

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.
Show threadSteve GarfieldNov 12, 2022

@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
Show threadAlex Chaffee

@SteveGarfield @CrimethInc

Sounds like an accurate oral history to me, but just to make sure... I happen to have Marshall McLuhan right here 😉
say, @blaine -- would you mind confirming/correcting this Twitter origin story?

Nov 29, 2022 at 4:45pmWeb
Show threadblaineNov 29, 2022
@alexch @SteveGarfield @CrimethInc 😂 yup! Tad's write-up is spot-on, I'd say.