Twitter turns seven years old

MICROCHAT WEBSITE Twitter has entered its eighth year of echoing 140 character tweets around the internet.

It is seven years since co-creator Jack Dorsey sent his first tweet, and now the social network of pithy packets has 200 million active users.

just setting up my twttr

— Jack Dorsey (@jack) March 21, 2006

Dorsey's first tweet wasn't very interesting, but the microblogging service has seen a lot of action over the years. Much of it is celebrated in the video below.

"It was on this day in 2006 in San Francisco, California, Jack Dorsey (@jack) first tweeted. Twitter now has more than 200 million users worldwide (10 million of them in the UK), and sees 400 million tweets sent every day," says an enthused Twitter UK blog post.

"Individuals and organisations from worlds as diverse as fashion, football, politics and pop music have embraced Twitter over the past seven years and made it their own, 140 characters at a time."

The US blog is equally effusive, and thanks punters for making the communications service the giant that it is today.

"We've seen breathtaking velocity in Twitter's growth, which is due entirely to your many uses of it. We're gratified that so many millions of you have made Twitter yours. The steep trajectory of Twitter's momentum is something @jack, @ev and @biz only dreamed about back in 2006," it added.

"As we've grown, Twitter has become a true global town square - a public place to hear the latest news, exchange ideas and connect with people all in real time. This is where you come to connect with the world at large. Get on your soapbox to critique elected officials, or go sotto voce to the neighbor next to you. And as in other gathering places, commerce happens too (and jokes and art-making and debating, and - you get the idea)." µ