Is that a party in your pocket?

Whilst standing on the platform waiting for the train I had an epiphany.

Unlike Newton, Archimedes or Doc Brown, my eureka moment didn’t lead to an astonishingly important scientific discovery but it did provide me with a new way to describe Twitter…

(Smartphone + (3G ± Wi-Fi)) × Twitter = Party in your pocket! (P!)

Everybody loves a party. You get to meet up with some old friends and talk about stuff and if you’re lucky you bump into some new people and strike up exciting new conversations that take you in directions you’d never thought of before. Maybe you even overhear somebody else’s discussion and jump in to offer your opinion. Parties are great!

When you’re at a party time seems to fly by. One minute you’re debating the practical issues of creating your very own Iron Man suit, then the next minute you’re rushing out the door desperately hoping to catch the last train home. It is this experience that Twitter allows you to carry around with you wherever you go.

Now, it would be wonderful if we could replicate the experience without the need for gadgets (check out the h!project to see how I’m trying to make that happen). But until we can break down the perceived barriers between strangers on a train, Twitter allows us to never be alone.

So the next time somebody asks you if that’s a phone in your pocket say “No! It’s a party, and I’m extremely pleased to meet you”