introduction
Since its introduction to the technology world, microblogging has become a social networking tool used by millions all over the globe. Microblogging is a subset of blogging that allows users to post small messages via different forms of media- text, photo, and video. This is how it differs from blogging- the size of the post is much smaller than one would make if they were making a normal blog post. It is a quick and easy way for the user to get their message out to hundreds of people, and it usually does not take more than a minute to put up and it does not take more than a minute to read. “Microblogging offers a portable communication mode that feels organic and spontaneous to many and has captured the public imagination,” (“7 things”, 2009, para. 1). It allows people to post random bits of information and give others a small insight into their life and they can do this via emails, their phones (instant messaging or text messages) and the Web (Lee, 2013, pg. 27). There are currently some websites out there that are not considered microblogging platforms, but because of the popularity of the short status update, some sites do have certain microblog features. For instance, Facebook itself is simply a social networking site, but the status update is a microblog feature. Since its conception, celebrities, athletes, authors, and even the President of the United States have used microblogging throughout the different platforms, including both the ever-popular Twitter and Tumblr. Microblogging can serve as a social media platform where people can share what happened during their day, share something that happened in a stranger’s day, and a place where they can gather the latest news. Since microblogging came to be, it has become a form where people can share something that happened in their day, but share something that happened in someone else’s day with people who might not have ever seen it, and the latest news throughout the world. It also allows for peer-to-peer interaction in that users can communicate with other users on the site. In this section, the history of microblogging will be discussed; this includes historicizing microblogging back to the 18th and 19th centuries, the history of blogging, how Twitter came to be, and some of the earlier microblogging platforms.