I thought I should outline here some of the specific things I find so compelling about Twitter, with suggestions about architectural features to be emulated by other internet services.
Twitter is simple. Twitter does one small thing, and does it well.
Twitter works like people do. If I'm interested in someone, I don't have to ask their permission to follow them.
Twitter cooperates well with others. Rather than loading itself down with features, it lets others extend its reach.
Twitter transcends the web. Like all of the key internet services today, Twitter is equally at home on the mobile phone.
Twitter is user-extensible.
Twitter evolves quickly. Perhaps because its features are so minimal,
clipped from: radar.oreilly.com