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A number of blog entries have criticized Twitter as being an over-hyped fad. The mistake in this reasoning is seeing Twitter only in the realm of stationary computers whether desktop of laptop. Within that constraint Twitter is only a limited Web 2.0 version of IRC. With people talking about trivial, immediate events rather than worthwhile information in expertise channels on php, c++, microformats, etc. The result is that Twitter soon flames out when participants tire of the inane conversations

But Twitter is not significant on stationary computers, but on mobile devices. It is a more engaging implementation of SMS providing location, time and activity information. Coordinating activity by location. Robert Scoble and Andy Carvin make the contention that Twitter could save lives in situations like the earthquakes, the Katrina hurricane and the Tsunami disaster. Within a mobile environment that argument holds weight. Individuals untethered from stationary and on mobile computers can coordinate with each other, they can solve each other's problems. A more mundane example is yesterday Starbucks offered free coffee from 10 am to noon. Around 2 pm Scoble posted a twitter, "Free coffee at Starbucks today. I'm going to get mine now." A few minutes later Josh Leo responded, "@Scobelizer I think it was only from 10-12 today... I got mine". Apparently Scoble wasn't paying attention and some minutes later wrote, "Ahh, Starbucks in Palo Alto on Middlefield only gave it away 10 a.m. to noon. Outta luck again..." Now Robert Scoble could have bypassed the wasted time and disappointment of going to Starbucks without getting a free coffee by noticing Josh Leo's twitter. As people notice the optimization to daily activity Twitter provides, they'll wait for and notice such posts.

The significance of being able to coordinate your life in relation to what others are doing and know as you move along in your day is potent. This could be seen in SxSW twitters as people said where they were in the evening at various eaters and events and coordinated meetings. I've heard from several people that the important part of conferences like SxSW is the meetings in the hall and after the presentations. This is where Twitter removes the friction and enables coordinated and optimized meetings.

The argument that the discussion on Twitter is insignificant does not apply to mobile communications. Compared to cell phone discussions on the street, buses, trains, etc., Twitter's messages are much more thoughtfully constructed and directed. And mobile phone small talk is not going away

Twitter is probably the first wildly successful and exploding mobile application. The question is will it scale as more people come on board. So far it's had growing pains with the cute kitty image server down messages, slow message refresh response, duplicating messages, and such. From last I've seen, it's built on Ruby on Rails -- a new interpretive web language know to be slow. Unless Twitter works to scale to a likely exponential rise, other startups will probably see the opportunity and take it.

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This may be heretical, but I question if social is a foundation for the current networked capabilities. It's a nebulous term that is often promoted as the raison d'etre of Web 2.0. However it looks to be the result of innovation and participation, rather than a means in itself. The innovation of sites like flickr, YouTube, etc. that connect people based on common interests. The participation of users who create connections that are meaningful to their current work, needs and interests. The result is social, but it has no meaning in itself.

I've been reading 37signal's Signal vs. Noise weblog which I find useful for challenging potential Web 2.0 hyperbole. Also recently I listened to the IT Conversations podcast by James Surowieki: "Independent Individuals and Wise Crowds". Surowieki speaks about studies that show the advantage of a diverse population of independent individuals reaching better conclusions than the advise of a population of only those with expert knowledge. That some randomness and noise evolves to better results.

This means that a degree of diversity and noise is important to getting good signal. That it's not a noise or signal proposition, but that a level of noise is necessary for a deap, rich, meaningful signal. Too much noise and the signal is indistinguishable. To little noise and the signal is flat, monotone, narrowly applicable and uninteresting. So a flux of amount of signal and noise makes for rich, valueable information.

The next point is not a simpler, more intuitive web -- AJAX and such -- but being untethered from the desktop and laptop. This is where the iPod is pointing to and the challenge ahead. It is the ability to work anywhere without having to give full attention to the computer. A device that works naturaly with human beings like the iPod starts to do and has all the capabilities of a desktop system.

Practically this means mobile devices that you can talk and talk back to and have natural input touch devices. A prototype early example of this is TechCrunch's review of Ajay Juneja voice controlled car.

The significance to being untethered is an exponential capability in daily activity. Being able to look up information at the spot where one is when about to give a lecture, contacting someone associated on your network that can deliver a service needed now ("Are you at Fry's computer store?" "Can you pickup a USB cable and we can meet along the way?" "I've authorized you $40 on paypal.") Then people will be able to deliver services to each other as either barter or payment, rather than advertising being the main web model.

This may seem mundane but how much time and effort is used up doing things on ones own waiting to get to the right place and time? The result is an exponential ability to focus and achieve ones goals.