#narff

pow·er/ˈpouər/

Noun: The ability to do something or act in a particular way, esp. as a faculty or quality.

You'd be surprised to know about all the stuff that has been accomplished thanks to Social Networks. I mean, they are present in almost every big newspaper story for the past and present year. If you don't believe me, let's see: How did Gap manage to get intel on how much their costumers loved the traditional logo so they kept from changing to the new one and save a buck in the process? thanks to social networks. Where did you read first about Osama Bin Laden's death? on social networks. How did the "Occupy Wall Street" movement got together so fast and so easy? through the use of social networks. How did Japan get to organize everyone after the earthquake and tsunami to rescue survivors and bring aid where it was needed? yes, social networks. How did people in Egypt got together in grate numbers and manage to be heard by the government and actually changed something?

Come on! you know this... thats right! via social networks.

Social Network

Noun: A network of social interactions and personal relationships.

In other words a place where people talk and listen. And all social sites can be somehow adapted to this definition, all but one: Twitter. Let me explain, because this could be the very most important thing that sets Twitter apart - usually when you get to invite someone to join your network you both get connected. From that moment, photos, messages, videos and information you two post to the network will get to be displayed in both your social news feeds. Well, not Twitter.

From the moment you sign up you'll be asked about subjects you LIKE (not that LIKE), then it will introduce you to people related to your likes and interests and ask if you'd like to follow them. By this moment you're asked to follow people you know in real life based on your various address books associated to your e-mail and cellphone contacts. And if I'm not mistaken (and I'm willing to make a bet here), you've just check two or three of them out of 10 or 20.

The thing is, Twitter is the only social network where you don't talk and listen to the same person, but you talk and listen to the same thread. SURE! you can save a list with people you really want to listen to and you'll get to read and watch everything they post. However, that's not the main value in this tool to be useful. The ability to listen to a thread and contribute to it - is exactly what makes Twitter what it is. And what happens when a thread gains millions of people across the globe talking and listening to it? big things VERY big things happen.

Information is power, right? then the very definition of a Twitter thread has to be power, unlimited power.

Could threads get unlimited power by obtaining a very big but limited number of Twitter followers? Yes. Remember, people can get as much followers as Twitter accounts exist in the world but threads, threads are an entirely different story. Threads can get as much followers as people exist in the world because for them Twitter acts as a core of information and has all other media available in the city - country - world as the spreading mechanism.

All that it takes is ONE publishing a thought for it to become viral in all media: newspapers, radio, TV, blogs and magazines. Doesn't matter how many followers this ONE has or how many retweets this ONE's thought gets. Thus, turning a thought into an incorruptible and powerful thread. A thread can make people vote for a politician, drink a soda, go somewhere, spend money on certain items, decide for one product or another, side with someone plus millions and millions of possibilities. This is not a brand new idea, traditional media controlled by rich people and governments had this job in the past.

Once Steve Jobs said that if he was to ask the costumer what he wants, by the time Apple get to built it, the costumer would want something else entirely. People don't usually know what they want, sometimes you just have to control the information, the threads, the future in order to push the human race forward.

Control |kənˈtrōl|

Noun: The power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events

Is it possible for someone to gain enough power, through social networks in order to control people, cities, nations, corporations, costumers and the world? I think not, because threads are controlled by everyone and anyone. As I said, threads are incorruptible, not even Twitter itself has enough power to influence them and making them follow their interests. The ones who manage Twitter have as much power to influence the threads as you, your wife, your boss, your politicians, your CEO and your president has.