Twitter, Nancy K. Baym
Twitter, Nancy K. Baym
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

Twitter
A Biography

Author: Nancy K. Baym, Jean Burgess

Narrator: Rachel Perry

Unabridged: 3 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 06/23/2020


Synopsis

The sometimes surprising, often humorous story of the forces that came together to shape the central role Twitter now plays in contemporary politics and culture

Is Twitter a place for sociability and conversation, a platform for public broadcasting, or a network for discussion? Digital platforms have become influential in every sphere of communication, from the intimate and everyday to the public, professional, and political. Since the scrappy startup days of social media in the mid-2000s, not only has the worldwide importance of platforms grown exponentially, but also their cultures have shifted dramatically, in a variety of directions. These changes have brought new opportunities for progressive communities to thrive online, as well as widespread problems with commercial exploitation, disinformation, and hate speech.

Twitter's growth over the past decade, like that of much social media, has far surpassed its creators' vision. Twitter charts this trajectory in the format of a platform biography: a new, streamlined approach to understanding how platforms change over time. Through the often surprising, fast-moving story of Twitter, it illuminates the multiple forces—from politics and business to digital ideologies—that came together to shape the evolution of this revolutionary platform.

About Nancy K. Baym

Nancy K. Baym is a senior principal researcher at Microsoft in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is the author and coeditor of books about audiences, relationships, and the internet.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Tama on May 07, 2020

The book is a little bit of a love letter to the Twitter that was! The platform biography approach squeezes a lot in to the 140 (!) pages, but it's impossible to read this and not feel immediately more informed about Twitter, more interested in where it's going, but also a lot more familiar with the......more

Goodreads review by Neha on July 27, 2022

Its a good book that talks about evolution of Twitter and the three breakthroughs it went through.. the @, the # and the RT. Good read if you are a tech savvy person. And specially for system designers......more

Goodreads review by aroace on April 28, 2020

My first impression based on the cover: It’s merging with the current Twitter logo and the 2010’s Twitter logo. TBH, I don’t quite like the ‘Twitter’ font and it should be just the same like the ‘A biography’. The description: My first experience in using Twitter was in 2015, where I’m constantly che......more