Twitter (which I refuse to call X) is an oddity even in social media. It's much smaller than giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Yet, it's had an outsized impact on our information culture, driven by limited word counts that encourage more succinct and conversational posts.

The service provided a unique way to communicate online, and it's still largely unique even though several competitors have been trying to take Twitter's throne. Twitter enjoys a big first-mover advantage with an embedded cultural presence and critical mass of users that makes it a powerful hub for networking and other interactions. Several years ago, I even argued that Twitter should become a protocol similar to email or FTP – something anyone can use anywhere with any appropriate client, detached from third-party interference.