Tweets Archived in the US Library of Congress
If you found out your tweets (information you posted on Twitter) were going to be archived in the US Library of Congress how would you feel about that?
Guess what? I just read in the Huffington Post that your tweets are going to be archived in the Library of Congress!
I know the first time I heard the news reference Twitter I was like “OMG they are talking about Twitter on mainstream TV…” now you can hardly hear any news without the mention of Twitter.
The US Library of Congress announced a major new acquisition: it will be obtaining all public tweets dating back to March 2006.
You can read more about it here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/14/library-of-congress-twitt_n_537330.html
Here is a list of memorable tweets listed in the article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/08/tweets-in-the-news-10-mem_n_529441.html
What are your thoughts?
Expect to see an emphasis on the scholarly and research implications of the acquisition,” wrote Library of Congress blogger Matt Raymond. “I’m no Ph.D., but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data. And I’m certain we’ll learn things that none of us now can even possibly conceive.
Just think they might be studying your tweets!
I think this is potentially a great research tool for looking at trending topics and issues within the populace. More than examining individual tweets, I think looking at hashtags and trending topics can be very valuable for future sociologists and historians.
And of course, anyone running for office in the future who tweets something dumb while in college – be prepared to have it pulled up during your campaign!
Aaron, thanks for sharing your thoughts! I agree it will be an interesting archive to look back at in the future.
I always think about what the teenagers are posting on Facebook these days… I don’t know how many times I have told them to really think about what you put up there because it may come back to haunt you later in life. In one ear – out the other… all I can do is say, “I told you so!” when they are 30 something and looking for a job. LOL