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Schmidt calls Twitter a poor man's email system

Google is a vast company that has its hands in so many aspects of the technology world today that it can be hard to keep up with. From a massive search and online ad business to email and chat applications, Google covers a wide gamut of Internet services.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt attended the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference today and Alleyinsider reports that he talked about Twitter calling it and similar applications "a poor man's email system."

Schmidt elaborated on the comment saying, "Speaking as a computer scientist, I view all of these as sort of poor man's email systems. In other words, they have aspects of an email system, but they don't have a full offering. To me, the question about companies like Twitter is: Do they fundamentally evolve as sort of a note phenomenon, or do they fundamentally evolve to have storage, revocation, identity, and all the other aspects that traditional email systems have? Or do email systems themselves broaden what they do to take on some of that characteristic."

At the same time, Schmidt also mentioned Google's new Twitter account, but his description was a little off. Schmidt said @google was a place followers could "go ahead and listen to our ruminations as to where we are and what we're doing in 160 characters or less." The problem is that the limit on Twitter characters is 140.

Twitter recently received an additional $35 million in venture capital funding.

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google's end?
By TSS on 3/4/2009 1:01:44 PM , Rating: 3
"In other words, they have aspects of an email system, but they don't have a full offering"

Google has the aspects of the most complete library of information in the world yet it doesn't always give full offering of information that i need (in other words i have to refine my search).

Text messaging has the aspects of just calling, but doesn't have the full offering of a real phone conversation (because of the limited number of characters).

Twitter is excellent as what it does, give a direct update on somebody's situation to a larget public then just 1 recipient of a text message. it's not intended as email, with full fledged information offering on a paticular subject, it's more of a status update.

the thing that strikes me about the statement is that this might be the limit of google's own innovation. if they cannot see what twitter's innovation is, while it's so obvious (the amount of text messages in a year surpasses the population of the planet, all carrying 160 or less characters), then maybe google is at their peak.




RE: google's end?
By g3pro on 3/4/2009 1:18:57 PM , Rating: 5
Frankly, Twitter has very little use except as a tool to receive quick messages from friends and to send quick messages to your friends. It is similar to the status message in instant messaging applications, but the status message is a quick way to send a message/update to your friends.

It is hardly revolution and it is hardly innovative. It's a regurgitation of ideas which have long before existed in the AOL instant messenger days.


RE: google's end?
By deeznuts on 3/5/2009 2:36:09 AM , Rating: 3
Frankly, a lot of business is being conducted on twitter. Absurd I know. But I've received business contacts on there.

There are those who are really just twittering mindless stuff (I'm eating pizza) and there are those who are networking. A lot of people are using it as a microblog and a supplement to it.


RE: google's end?
By 16nm on 3/5/2009 7:45:41 AM , Rating: 1
That does seem kind of absurd, but Twitter is an original idea. I think Google's Schmidt is sour grapes because it wasn't his idea. Were it so, Twitter would be the next coming by his reckoning.


RE: google's end?
By xsilver on 3/5/2009 8:12:01 AM , Rating: 2
Does it really matter that its not googles idea?

Im more surprised that it hasnt turned into youtube v2.01

Bidding starts at one million dollars! ;)


RE: google's end?
By jtesoro on 3/6/2009 10:34:04 AM , Rating: 2
My sense from his comment is that he's becoming Ballmer-ish. Watch out for flying chairs!


RE: google's end?
By kelmon on 3/5/2009 7:19:04 AM , Rating: 3
I tend to disagree. While I was originally baffled to think about Twitter's practical use (I signed up and then couldn't see the point), I can see this being useful to get news/information quickly. Twitter has the advantage that people can subscribe to follow sources of information that they are interested in, those sources can push out information quickly and without the overhead of either managing a distribution list or producing web pages. It shares a lot in common with RSS with the principal difference that updates are faster to make and shorter to read.

If Twitter is solely used for posting updates on what people are doing then, yes, I would agree that it is largely useless.

All this said, I don't use Twitter. However, recently there have been a number of news sites that I follow that have started to broadcast using the service and therefore I am considering giving it another go. I suspect that this is a service that needs to reach a "critical mass" before it really kicks off.


RE: google's end?
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 3/4/2009 1:25:52 PM , Rating: 5
I find twitter to be rather redundant. Facebook has a status line that is easy to update. Or you can set IM away messages, or hey send out an email if its really that important....

I honestly am not quite sure what the heck twitter is trying to do and why its a good idea.


RE: google's end?
By icrf on 3/4/2009 1:55:11 PM , Rating: 2
I think it doesn't really matter. People are obviously using it, so someone thinks it's useful. I think it may turn out to be a bit of a fad and die off as quickly as it grew, but that's just a question of changing times and public opinions. Can they somehow add value to encourage people to stay around? Who knows.


RE: google's end?
By calyth on 3/4/2009 5:55:03 PM , Rating: 2
It's basically enabling people to expose themselves to others.
Once they get tired of it, then Twitter (at its current state) would have little reason to exist, unless they come up with some good uses, fast.


RE: google's end?
By bodar on 3/4/2009 2:06:39 PM , Rating: 5
Twitter is the narcissist's wet dream: here's a play-by-play of my life... aren't you fascinated?


RE: google's end?
By SectionEight on 3/4/2009 2:08:52 PM , Rating: 5
Finally, a Web 2.0 service that is named for the people who use it.


RE: google's end?
By Etsp on 3/4/2009 2:49:00 PM , Rating: 1
Replace the 'i' with an 'a', and remove the 'ter' and that statement would be even more accurate.


RE: google's end?
By afkrotch on 3/4/2009 2:17:26 PM , Rating: 2
I was about to say that Facebook has the same twitter like function. I personally rather be on Facebook than on twitter.

If you really want ppl to know all about what you're doing, then make a blog.


RE: google's end?
By therealnickdanger on 3/4/2009 2:25:26 PM , Rating: 2
But a blog requires too much effort. Blogs are passe, it's all about blurbz. Blurbs require almost no effort or time, just post a non-sensical message about yourself or about your favorite LOLcats image and let the world experience it with you.


RE: google's end?
By RamarC on 3/4/2009 4:42:05 PM , Rating: 5
quote:
But a blog requires too much effort. Blogs are passe, it's all about blurbz. Blurbs require almost no effort or time, just post a non-sensical message about yourself or about your favorite LOLcats image and let the world experience it with you.

Further evidence of the dumbing down of the US.

"It's too hard to actually compose full sentences."
"I can't intellectually discuss anything, so I just babble about standing in line to get a latte."


RE: google's end?
By DigitalFreak on 3/4/2009 8:04:53 PM , Rating: 3
+1000


RE: google's end?
By grcunning on 3/4/2009 3:08:48 PM , Rating: 2
The bottom line is the demographics. Those of us who read and post on DT(and Ars, Toms, Anand..etc) are probably not the crowd who twits for a hobby. Just because we don't use it doesn't mean that it's not relevant.
I bet right now there are a million 16 year olds just twittering their a$$es off. That many eyeballs has to mean dollar signs somehow...I'll leave it to the MBA's to figure that out.
I remember a boss telling me that email wasn't relevant(back around 1990 or so). He said that anyone who was anyone would just use the high-tech fax machine.


RE: google's end?
By afkrotch on 3/4/2009 3:59:11 PM , Rating: 2
I never said there wasn't a demographic for twitter like abilities, but there's already sites that offer the same functionality, while providing more features also.


RE: google's end?
By deeznuts on 3/5/2009 2:42:08 AM , Rating: 2
The demographics are not what you think. There are a lot of microbusinesses (single person company or single principal and some assistants) using twitter. Solo attorneys (like myself) have attached to it. I've gleaned a ton of information from Twitter. we use it to share links and stories we'd never come across. I just scan and pick out links I want to read further. I have not even come across any kids.

My follow list and followers are strictly lawyers, small business and estate planning (my practice) related businesses, marketing and advertising people, and people in my own city so we can network. The 16 yo's are still on facebook and myspace I think.

I thought it was a gimmick, heck I never joined facebook or myspace ever. I resisted 2.0 like a mofo. But I launched my business and social media is free advertising, and my first 3 clients came before traditional advertising. Just free social media.


RE: google's end?
By Mortando on 3/4/2009 6:16:43 PM , Rating: 2
My stalker just grunted on my twitter!
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?vide...


RE: google's end?
By neothe0ne on 3/5/2009 12:31:01 AM , Rating: 2
"I honestly am not quite sure what the heck twitter is trying to do and why its a good idea. "

I see Twitter as a Facebook status messenger for groups/organizations rather than for individuals. At least, that's the only purpose I've ever seen it serve (I've never actually visited Twitter's website yet)


RE: google's end?
By Staples on 3/5/2009 11:03:39 AM , Rating: 2
I feel differently. I use it and post only interesting opinions. Just like on my blog, I rarely post links or useless info. I think facebook or myspace (both of which I have never had an account) are solely for attention whores. Twitter allows for something useful but it can be abused.


RE: google's end?
By Yeah on 3/5/2009 12:31:46 PM , Rating: 2
I do not have a facebook or myspace or twitter account. But I can see where it would be useful in an instance like this: I play online games. Say this particular game that I currently play is going to do an emergency shutdown and a patch. In this instance they (do) post this information on twitter because when their servers go down thier website won't be hit with a bunch of 404's. Easy way to get their message out. I would suspect twitter has a very relaxed EULA which may be why (the game company) decided to use twitter instead of facebook or myspace. Emails are not very reliable especially with someone who has their filtering setup too high for spam.

I'll never forget the time that I worked for paypal and when someone would forget their password and and try to get the recovery email, the subject line " forgot password " would get flagged by spam because it has the word @ss in it. One of the first things we learned about when people complained about not getting the recovery email. (priceless)

Regardless, personally I think all of these places are a cess pool and wish they would just go away.

I also think that google is just trying to lower twitter market share so that they can buy them out cheaper... seems like corporate america to me.


eh...
By dflynchimp on 3/4/2009 1:23:33 PM , Rating: 2
While I'm not a fan of twitter (actually detest it), This guy is not being very diplomatic about what he's saying...

His motive is quite clear though. If twitter really was no threat to some part of Google's market share the guy wouldn't be bashing it. IMO a smarter CEO would've had google refine its own counter to twitter to the point of outclassing it in all aspects of functionality, thereby making twitter obsolete, ALA "speak softly and carry a big stick"




RE: eh...
By Proxes on 3/4/2009 1:43:43 PM , Rating: 2
Then google becomes the big bad company smashing the little guy with its stick. People have hated Microsoft for years because of this.


RE: eh...
By afkrotch on 3/4/2009 2:20:27 PM , Rating: 2
And? Millions of ppl still buy Microsoft products. They are a company out to make money. Even if there are complaints, who cares. They are still making money.

Google can just make their own twitter like crap and smash Twitter. Then everyone will end up using Google Twitter and they generate more ad revenue.


RE: eh...
By therealnickdanger on 3/4/2009 2:28:21 PM , Rating: 3
Speak of the devil:

http://www.google.com/gwitter.aspx

jk

Google is just jealous that its useless products are being eclipsed by someone else's useless product.

I mean, wow, how did we survive in the days before Gore invented the Internet?


RE: eh...
By afkrotch on 3/4/2009 8:53:25 PM , Rating: 2
When you're failing in a sector and can't gain ground, all they can do is bash.


By invidious on 3/4/2009 5:24:48 PM , Rating: 2
140<160




By Beenthere on 3/5/2009 1:21:38 AM , Rating: 1
I feel sorry for these people. They really need to find a life.




"I'm an Internet expert too. It's all right to wire the industrial zone only, but there are many problems if other regions of the North are wired." -- North Korean Supreme Commander Kim Jong-il











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