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| Twitter hype punctured by study | Twitter hype punctured by study |
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| Micro-blogging service Twitter remains the preserve of a few, despite the hype surrounding it, according to research. | Micro-blogging service Twitter remains the preserve of a few, despite the hype surrounding it, according to research. |
| Just 10% of Twitter users generate more than 90% of the content, a Harvard study of 300,000 users found. | Just 10% of Twitter users generate more than 90% of the content, a Harvard study of 300,000 users found. |
| Estimates suggest it now has more than 10 million users and is growing faster than any other social network. | Estimates suggest it now has more than 10 million users and is growing faster than any other social network. |
| However, the Harvard team found that more than half of all people using Twitter updated their page less than once every 74 days. | However, the Harvard team found that more than half of all people using Twitter updated their page less than once every 74 days. |
| And most people only ever "tweet" once during their lifetime, the researchers found. | And most people only ever "tweet" once during their lifetime, the researchers found. |
| "Based on the numbers, Twitter is certainly not a service where everyone who has seen it has instantly loved it," said Bill Heil, a graduate from Harvard Business School who carried out the work. | "Based on the numbers, Twitter is certainly not a service where everyone who has seen it has instantly loved it," said Bill Heil, a graduate from Harvard Business School who carried out the work. |
| On a typical online social network, he said, the top 10% of users accounted for 30% of all production. | On a typical online social network, he said, the top 10% of users accounted for 30% of all production. |
| "This implies that Twitter's resembles more of a one-way, one-to-many publishing service more than a two-way, peer-to-peer communication network," the team wrote in a blog post. | "This implies that Twitter's resembles more of a one-way, one-to-many publishing service more than a two-way, peer-to-peer communication network," the team wrote in a blog post. |
| Silent crowds | Silent crowds |
| Twitter is a social networking website where people can post messages of up to 140 characters - known as tweets - that can be seen by other users who subscribe to their feed. | Twitter is a social networking website where people can post messages of up to 140 characters - known as tweets - that can be seen by other users who subscribe to their feed. |
| Its growth has been described as "explosive" and it has become the poster child of social networking sites, particularly among media companies. | Its growth has been described as "explosive" and it has become the poster child of social networking sites, particularly among media companies. |
| Twitter is a broadcast medium rather than an intimate conversation with friends Bill Heil | Twitter is a broadcast medium rather than an intimate conversation with friends Bill Heil |
| Recent figures from research firm Nielsen Online show that visitors to the site increased by 1,382%, from 475,000 to seven million, between February 2008 and February 2009. It is thought to have grown beyond 10 million in the past 4 months. | Recent figures from research firm Nielsen Online show that visitors to the site increased by 1,382%, from 475,000 to seven million, between February 2008 and February 2009. It is thought to have grown beyond 10 million in the past 4 months. |
| By comparison, Facebook - one of the most popular social networking sites by number of visitors - has 200 million active users and grew by 228% during the same period. | By comparison, Facebook - one of the most popular social networking sites by number of visitors - has 200 million active users and grew by 228% during the same period. |
| Research by Nielsen also suggests that many people give the service a try, but rarely or never return. | Research by Nielsen also suggests that many people give the service a try, but rarely or never return. |
| Earlier this year, the firm found that more than 60% of US Twitter users failed to return the following month. | Earlier this year, the firm found that more than 60% of US Twitter users failed to return the following month. |
| "The Harvard data says very, very few people tweet and the Nielsen data says very, very few people listen consistently," Mr Heil told BBC News. | "The Harvard data says very, very few people tweet and the Nielsen data says very, very few people listen consistently," Mr Heil told BBC News. |
| 'Super user' | 'Super user' |
| The Harvard study took a snapshot of 300,542 users in May 2009. As well as usage patterns it looked in detail at gender differences. | The Harvard study took a snapshot of 300,542 users in May 2009. As well as usage patterns it looked in detail at gender differences. |
| For example, it found that men had 15% more followers than women despite there being slightly more females users of Twitter than males. | For example, it found that men had 15% more followers than women despite there being slightly more females users of Twitter than males. |
| It also showed that an average man was almost twice as likely to follow another man than a woman, despite the reverse being true on other social networks. | It also showed that an average man was almost twice as likely to follow another man than a woman, despite the reverse being true on other social networks. |
| "The sort of content that drives men to look at women on other social networks does not exist on Twitter," said Mr Heil. | "The sort of content that drives men to look at women on other social networks does not exist on Twitter," said Mr Heil. |
| "By that I mean pictures, extended articles and biographical information." | "By that I mean pictures, extended articles and biographical information." |
| However, said Mr Heil, the most striking result was that so few people used the service to publish information, preferring instead to be passive consumers. | However, said Mr Heil, the most striking result was that so few people used the service to publish information, preferring instead to be passive consumers. |
| For example, the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one. | For example, the median number of lifetime tweets per user is one. |
| "Twitter is a broadcast medium rather than an intimate conversation with friends," he said. | "Twitter is a broadcast medium rather than an intimate conversation with friends," he said. |
| "It looks like a few people are creating content for a few people to read and share." | "It looks like a few people are creating content for a few people to read and share." |
| Some "super users" can have thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers. | Some "super users" can have thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers. |
| Currently, the most popular person to follow on Twitter is the movie star Ashton Kutcher who has more than two million followers. | Currently, the most popular person to follow on Twitter is the movie star Ashton Kutcher who has more than two million followers. |
| However, the service bills itself as a way to "communicate and stay connected" with "friends, family and co-workers". | However, the service bills itself as a way to "communicate and stay connected" with "friends, family and co-workers". |
| "The Twitter management need to decide if this is a problem," said Mr Heil. | "The Twitter management need to decide if this is a problem," said Mr Heil. |
| "And if they decide it is, how they will tweak Twitter to become more acceptable to the average user?" | "And if they decide it is, how they will tweak Twitter to become more acceptable to the average user?" |
| Will micro-blogging play a big part in the future of the web? Share your thoughts href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6566&edition=2">here |