The Democratization of Blogs

tWiitter: Comparing Twitter to Wii

I predict Twitter (or a similar form of microblogging) will be bigger than blogs some day. I feel I might be in the minority here, as I’ve been hearing more and more people say things like “It’s the Second Life of 2008″ or “It’s the latest ’shiny object’ but will fade away like so many fads.” I disagree and here’s why:

Twitter got through what Seth Godin calls “The Dip” in ‘07 and by the end of ‘08 it officially went mainstream with the Obama campaign and CNN’s Rick Sanchez making “the Twitter board” an integral part of his show.

But that’s not why it will be bigger than blogs.

Take a look at how Nintendo’s Wii blindsided both Microsoft (XBOX 360) and Sony (PS3). Many people would like to play video games, but complicated gameplay and controls drove all but the die-hard gamers away. Enter Wii. It’s easy. It’s fun. The controls are simple and intuitive. Grandma can play with a 5 year old and have a blast.

Now look at blogs. People gravitate to the idea of having a blog, but blogs require a large investment of time and a commitment to keep it up. Enter Twitter. It’s easy. It’s fun. It’s convenient from browser and mobile device.

If blogs are the democratization of publishing and distributing ideas, news and content, then Twitter is the democratization of blogs.