Talk:Jack Dorsey/@comment-5544447-20120924090652

CONTRIBUTIONS

Twitter could be considered Dorsey’s single greatest contribution to the study of information technology.

Twitter became the site at the forefront of the microblogging movement. Its 140-character restriction was designed for frequent postings that are compatible for receiving and viewing in many formats such as instant messaging and to fit the character limit of SMS messaging. It was also a conscious choice to inspire creativity. (http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/05/twitter-founders-thrive-on-micro-blogging-constraints137.html)

In particular, Twitter has been an invaluable source of real-time news updates for recent crisis situations, such as the Mumbai terror attacks or Iran protests. The short nature of updates allows users to post news items quickly, reaching its audience in seconds. The second edition of the Arab Social Media Report by the Dubai School of Government, which documented the Twitter activity of users in the Arab region, described it as having “played a critical role in mobilization, empowerment, shaping opinions and influencing change,” in reaction to its massive success in organizing the protest efforts of the region’s many political activists. (http://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/designprocess/files/2012/08/TheNational_FacebookandTwitterKeytoArabSpringUprising.pdf) It has also become a powerful platform for politicians, businesses, and advertisers to be better connected with the public. For example, the 2008 election had U.S. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain using Twitter as a method for updating their supporters while on the campaign trail. (http://www.biography.com/people/jack-dorsey-578280?page=1)

Jack has used his success from Twitter to invest in other social media companies that are on the rise to widespread acceptance and usage, such as foursquare, Instagram, and Kickstarter. (http://www.crunchbase.com/person/jack-dorsey)