I was almost positive I had read the idea of Twitter as a protocol before (or something very similar), even though on Twitter[1] pg notes he never published this specific piece despite having written it in 2009. I really appreciated the simplicity of thinking of Twitter that way, and the definition has stuck with me.
In case anyone else wanted to know where they read it, it's under Request for Startups, #3[2].
Paul, curious if your enthusiasm for twitter has waned in light of the direction they have taken since? Obviously it is still an influential platform, but the grand vision we all had doesn't seem to be materializing...
My enthusiasm as a user hasn't waned. I use it increasingly often. But I'm not so enthusiastic about funding companies based on it. There are probably still opportunities for companies to grow by using Twitter initially, but it would be risky to start a company that depended on Twitter.
In case anyone else wanted to know where they read it, it's under Request for Startups, #3[2].
[1] https://twitter.com/paulg/status/338702876744482816
[2] http://ycombinator.com/rfs3.html