Allowing anyone to develop algorithms would be a good idea for Twitter because it abides by the classic law of technology: “commoditize your complement”.  It sounds fancy but the basic idea is simple: if you’re selling a thing (like, for example, a smartphone), and there are other things that go well with that thing (like apps) then it’s a goo... See more

Twitter is taking its user base, which no one publication could realistically reach or monetize on its own, and re-distributing their subscription fee across publications that no one user could ever support individually.

My purpose here is to point out a logical third option, one that can and should be tested out on a platform such as Twitter. In this approach, a platform would require users to form groups through free association, and then to post only through those groups, with the group’s imprimatur. Why this simple, powerful notion could help us escape the dile... See more