Is Twitter A Social Network?

According to Twitter it is not! Oh really? Earlier this month, Kevin Thau, Twitter's Vice President of business and corporate development made the distinction during a presentation at Nokia World 2010. According to Thau, Twitter is not a social network. It's for news, content and information.

Thau argues that Twitter is a news network and not a social network and is in fact transforming the news business ("transforming" is now a synonym for "destroying" I guess).

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, you know the rest...

Let's talk about that "not a social network" part, first.

Here are some definitions of "social network"

"Any web site designed to allow multiple users to publish content themselves. The information may be on any subject and may be for consumption by (potential) friends, mates, employers, employees, etc. The sites typically allow users to create a "profile" describing themselves and to exchange public or private messages and list other users or groups they are connected to in some way. There may be editorial content or the site may be entirely user-driven."