Gillmor Gang: Cryptonomics - Tech News & Discussion

Twitter's Expanding Ecosystem and Emerging Trends

Twitter is demonstrably pursuing an ambitious strategy of rapid development and expansion. Beginning as a platform known for its "failwhale" overload and adoption of ideas from other companies, Twitter, under Jack Dorsey’s leadership, has evolved into an acquirer of tools designed to empower its content creators.

Twitter Spaces and Social Graph Personalization

The Twitter Spaces feature, initially modeled after Clubhouse, has undergone continuous UI improvements. These enhancements include the integration of relevant tweets at the top of each space and a heightened awareness of listeners within the Twitter network.

Recently, when participating in a Twitter Spaces event hosted by Kara Swisher, my profile picture was prominently displayed near the host and invited speakers. Notably, Dan Farber, a colleague from Salesforce and a long-time member of the Gillmor Gang, appeared alongside me on the listener list.

This suggests a personalization system driven by my Twitter social graph. This subtle feature is more engaging than a generalized Twitter ranking system that might prioritize celebrities or other less relevant signals. It creates a more direct connection; in a space with over a thousand participants, Dan is now easily reachable via direct message with a simple click on his icon.

API Integration and Newsletter Connections

Beyond these user-facing improvements, a significant development is the integration of Spaces metadata into the new Twitter API v2. This capability allows third-party developers to build their own algorithms based on Space dynamics, listener engagement, host performance, topics discussed, and scheduled events.

Furthermore, Twitter is piloting a connection between Twitter profiles and Revue newsletters. A click on a provided link directs users to a page showcasing recent newsletters and offering subscription options. Having acquired Revue to compete with Substack, Twitter is implementing seamless integration points, such as Revue’s RSS-enabled drag-and-drop functionality for sourcing citations during newsletter creation.

The Growing Significance of Cryptocurrency

Previously, the discourse surrounding cryptocurrency didn’t garner much attention. However, the actions of Jack Dorsey’s companies, Square and Twitter, in promoting blockchain technology, coupled with increasing scrutiny from Congress and regulatory bodies, have shifted that perspective.

The impact of the bipartisan Infrastructure bill, where a crypto-related tax amendment nearly stalled Senate approval, was particularly eye-opening. Twitter’s success in consolidating assets within the subscription and social audio sectors leads to a reevaluation of other potential connections.

During a recent Gillmor Gang episode, Keith Teare and the panel revisited the topic of cryptocurrency viability. While the fundamental question of what problem crypto solves remains unanswered, its potential to contribute to a diverse range of solutions is becoming increasingly apparent.

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The Gillmor Gang consists of Frank Radice, Michael Markman, Keith Teare, Denis Pombriant, Brent Leary, and Steve Gillmor. This episode was recorded live on Friday, July 23, 2021.

Production and direction were handled by Tina Chase Gillmor @tinagillmor.

Connect with the Gang: @fradice, @mickeleh, @denispombriant, @kteare, @brentleary, @stevegillmor, @gillmorgang

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