So, is this stuff going to be worldwide?* Because I am going to look like a complete dick rolling into a Starbucks in the UK with a re-usable tumbler looking for free coffee.

Not just if the offer is only in the U.S, but because a “tumbler” in the UK is a kids drinking vessel… and the only one I can find is a “My Little Pony” one, and something tells me that an “Action Man” one wouldn’t save my dignity.

The internet is hard, and Sponsored Tweets is glorified advertising for those that can afford to force their messages out, to be invasive getting something started rather than the level playing field where the most genuine and creative stuff gets pushed around.

I am really dissapointed by this.

Twitter always said it didn’t want to use advertising. They went with the attitude “If we build it the money will come”. They have an enormous firehose of data to tap, search is a HUGE $$ maker. Twitter has become the internets nervous system… how the hell can you not find business models out of that, that doesn’t insult the users?

If they decide to use invasive ads in peoples streams… that’s pretty dissapointing when it has so much power in other places.

@hotdogsladies hit the nail on the head:

Relying on ads alone for revenue is like quitting school to join Creed—sure, you’ll make SOMETHING, but it won’t be anyone’s favorite thing.

* Believe me, this stuff is ALWAYS country specific. I have spent enough time between countries to know that. The world is round on the internet, but business’s don’t get that yet. Even if they suddenly do… like hell am I going to suddenly have all my electronics become location aware just so I can be advertised at “relevantly”.