By: Arthur Cooper
Submitted: 2011-04-20 19:42:39 | Word Count: 664
Uh oh…looks like things are about to get a little more interesting in the world of micro-blogging. I say uh oh to this because hopefully Twitter hasn’t done the unthinkable and bit the hand that has been feeding them for so long. It certainly seems that way. You may be unaware but Twitter has taken issue in the past with the use of outside Twitter clients namely UberTwitter, Echofon and Twidryod. Twitter has no problem with outside Twitter analytic tools like Klout or a Twitter-integrated CRM platform like HootSuite and it even can accept outside companies such as Foursuqare that allow users to plug in their Twitter accounts. What Twitter despises, however, are apps that display and send tweets like Uber, Echo and Twid.
In the recent months Twitter has begin cracking down on outside Twitter providing parties even to the point of shutting these applications down. In the past when these applications have been shut down they simply apologize to Twitter, tuck their tails and wait for Twitter to accept their apologies and restore their rights to service. Well, it seems that now these outside companies have developed a bit of a backbone and will no longer lay down to Twitter’s demands. In fact, these outside companies are now “threatening” to build an alternative to the popular micro-blogging service.
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A recent report by CNN states that UberMedia (the company responsible for Ubersocial, Twidroyd and Echofon) is looking to develop a Twitter-like competitor. According to a reliable source (whose name is currently undisclosed) the new service that may be implemented by UberMedia is a response to some of the most common complaints about Twitter including restrictions on message length. Yikes, Twitter, it appears that you’ve dug yourself into a bit of a hole with this one. Thing is, UberMedia has kept their enemy close by complying and reforming according to Twitter’s demands. Now the company has gotten all they need from Twitter to move forward and make a bigger, better Twitter than Twitter thought to be. What can you say? That there is the making of competition.
Don’t for one second get cocky and think that UberMedia doesn’t have the means or resources to do what you do, Twitter. Just in the past eight months, UberMedia has acquired a significant number of high-profile Twitter clients making this company its own little third party powerhouse. As of February UberTwitter had already raised $17.5 million in funding and there are even talks that the company is looking to acquire TweetDeck.
Right now it’s being reported by CNN that UberMedia’s alternative to Twitter is simply on standby as a backup plan in case Twitter decides to pull the “you can’t play here anymore” stunt that they pulled a couple months back. My advice to Twitter, stop with the cold shoulder. It appears to me that a dangerous game is being played here and I’m not so sure that Twitter has what it takes to win. Play nice, Twitter. The last thing you want is for UberMedia to snatch the ball and go play somewhere else.
