Coming from buzzfeed? Really?

Why is there a picture of a gel electophoresis with the word "twitter" shopped onto it?

I suppose Twitter is an important historical and cultural record if you consider important to mean almost totally devoid of significance and interest.

More recently, researchers announced their findings in using machine learning and natural language processing to predict whether the information contained in a tweet is true or false.

Fitting that they'd focus their efforts there, but I'd hypothesize that, in terms of reporting for mass media, being first is more important than being accurate.

Exhibit A:


I was following along on SCOTUSBLOG, where they live blogged that Lyle Dennison was still reading the damn as these tweets were well established and circulated.

Meh. I have only made a single Tweet in my life, and only because a friend kept pestering me to get on Twitter. So, I opened up an account, accepted them to my "friend's list" and Tweeted this: Factorial! That was it. My friend did not get it and never again pestered me to start Tweeting. Now, with that being said, another friend of mine created a Twitter account for his D&D character and used to Tweet "from the dungeon" and while fighting monsters. That was fun to read. Sadly he deactivated his account not too long ago.

Britney Spear's Speculum: still reading the damn ruling

ftfm

That picture looks like my last dental x-ray.

I see stories first on Twitter, then a day and a half later a mod might agree to let someone post a link to it here on Fark.

And still no cure for cancer?

Dear smart people: the internet is not real life. You will learn more carefully observing an anthill on a busy day than study anything that has anything to do with twitter, Facebook, or pintrist. The "data" they are "withholding" will only take you further down your useless, asinine descent into hell.

Say what you will about twitter; it is certainly full of vapid, useless drivel. However, I live in #Cairo, and it is by far the quickest, easiest, and with a bit of mindfulness and patience, most accurate source of news and information about everything from long-term political trends to what may or may not be going on around the corner from my apartment.

red5ish: I suppose Twitter is an important historical and cultural record if you consider important to mean almost totally devoid of significance and interest.

what you mean 100 years form now no one will care that my friend took a shiat?

goodole312: red5ish: I suppose Twitter is an important historical and cultural record if you consider important to mean almost totally devoid of significance and interest.

what you mean 100 years form now no one will care that my friend took a shiat?

Hey, remember four years ago when that 'poop is coming out; comic was released? That was funny stuff back then for sure.

Just another Heartland Weirdass: Dear smart people: the internet is not real life. You will learn more carefully observing an anthill on a busy day than study anything that has anything to do with twitter, Facebook, or pintrist. The "data" they are "withholding" will only take you further down your useless, asinine descent into hell.

The same could be said with any hobby that doesn't reflect reality, such as video games, board games, fantasy sports, religion, fiction books, movies, Fark, etc...

My problem with 'Twitter' is that it begins with the word 'Twit'

It just sounds superficial and vapid.

Seriously, anyone found a legitimate use for Twitter?

How do they sort out the seemingly infinite amount of paid-advertisers posting as regular people, or spam accounts, or people who run record labels who will do anything to self promote?

And how do I get a job researching American culture in the year 2012 as an academic?

Could someone explain that article in 140 characters or less?

Karne: I see stories first on Twitter, then a day and a half later a mod might agree to let someone post a link to it here on Fark.

This, twitter is where I go to catch up with the latest news.

filter: Seriously, anyone found a legitimate use for Twitter?

Here's one: @Cmdr_Hadfield

Have never really used twitter myself to tweet, but if I did so what? Its just another way to share stuff. Yes people share stupid stuff, but they also share cool stuff. Its all how you use the tool. A hammer can be used to smash your brains out, or you can do something productive with it. i do follow along to keep tabs on the latest news in the world of tech, space exploration and just the world in general.

Day_Old_Dutchie: My problem with 'Twitter' is that it begins with the word 'Twit'
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It just sounds superficial and vapid.

I'm pretty sure the past tense of 'tweet' is 'twat,' so there's that.

20/20: Could someone explain that article in 140 characters or less?

Researchers want to learn more about your bathroom habits. Twitter takes ball, goes home. Twitter shows them picture of the ball. #twitter

I read this headline as "Twilight is the ultimate knowledge blocker".

That made perfect sense to me. Ultimate knowledge blocker, ad infinitum.

In other news, a massive, proprietary dataset owned by a company attempting to monetize that dataset has prevented third parties from monetizing that dataset or derivatives from that dataset. Bulk reads would be prohibitively expensive, and so a toolkit that ensures control over access & distribution makes sense.

I don't see the problem. Twitter owns the data, therefore they own its distribution rights. Allowing every curious researcher to hammer their data center into dirt through massive bulk reads sounds like a losing proposition for Twitter - and so "firehose" access to their data center has a cost associated with it. Twitter provides TREC for hobbyist access, and the "firehose" for serious access - if you need serious access, you have to pay for it. You don't get to use TREC as a "firehose".

This article is basically saying that Twitter charges too much for "firehose" access, and complains that folks can't exploit Twitter's free access like a "firehose." Tough. Muster up the cash for the data, and stop whining.

#susanalbumparty

That is all

I wonder how many people went (in)?

Almost 30 responses and no Bene Gesserit yet?

I must not tweet.
Twitter is the mind-killer.
Twitter is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my tweets.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

ukexpat: And still no cure for cancer?

There was a cure but the patent was longer than 140 characters. They said #farkit let's give all the money to the Dr.s and the Chemo makers

Whoo hoo 140 charcters.

Also really? 140-characters was chosen as a good length, leaving 20 characters for the username of the sender. This way, anyone receiving a tweet via SMS would get the whole tweet in a single text message, with nothing spilling over into a second or third message that pops up minutes later.

Our technology is better than this.

sorry, but coming from a former university prof; if I saw a twitter reference in one of those paper things.....they'd get a G. Idiocracy meets ineptocracy......here we come

There have been some interesting studies that demonstrate that Tweets match the spread of the flu. I'm planning to do some research on using Twitter to get an idea of what's happening "on the ground" during emergency management. My research is going to be much less effective because of Twitter's restrictions.

Yeah, so what? Twitter won't give academics reasonably priced access. Well, one likely outcome is that my research may very well conclude that Twitter isn't useful for our purposes. We aren't able to pay what Fortune 500 companies can pay. We won't use Twitter to make a profit. If there was a more reasonable solution, I could perhaps convince my boss with research to spend some money on Twitter. Sure, not as much as marketers will spend.

Twitter really does need to find a way to support research. Access was much greater two years ago.

If only we had some way to track the eating habits of the highly self-absorbed.