The Global Language Monitor website, in its annual survey of the English language, has announced that Twitter is the Top Word of 2009. “Twitter” was followed by Obama, H1N1, Stimulus, and Vampire. The near-ubiquitous suffix, “2.0,” was number six — does that even count as a word? — with Deficit, Hadron (the object of study of CERN’s new atom-smasher), Healthcare, and Transparency rounding out the Top 10.
In a year of world-shaking political events, a pandemic, a financial tsunami, and the death of a revered pop icon, we’re still talking about Twitter more than any other subject.
“Being limited to strict formulas did wonders for the sonnet and haiku. One wonders where this highly impractical word-limit [140 characters] will lead as the future unfolds,” says Paul JJ Payack, President of The Global Language Monitor.
Hitwise, a leading online competitive intelligence service, recently revealed that UK Internet traffic to Twitter has increased 22-fold over the last 12 months.
Why the hype? Is it curiosity drawing people in? Are they creating accounts like online rubberneckers, just to see what the big deal is? Are Twitter followers a badge of popularity? Or do people love exchanging ideas in really, really short sentences?
Twitter does add value by providing access to great content. It does take work and a commitment of time, but you will be rewarded with good relevant content from some great people. There’s no company today that shouldn’t be on Twitter (and if a 13-year-old can do it, anyone can do it). People are out there talking about you — don’t you want to hear what they’re saying?
An excellent read, which really hits the main points of joining the “Twit-o-sphere,” (especially if you’re just getting started) is Twitterville.
So, does Twitter deserve to be the most used word of 2009? Honestly, I don’t know. But what I do know is that Twitter and who knows what will come after Twitter, goes one step closer to put the power in the hands of the consumer. Probably where it belongs.
Tags: social media, Twitter
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