{"id":700,"date":"2012-09-21T17:18:57","date_gmt":"2012-09-22T00:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists-org-develop.go-vip.co\/newsroom\/?p=700"},"modified":"2021-06-22T18:45:03","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T22:45:03","slug":"twitter-ceo-addresses-ona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists-org-develop.go-vip.co\/newsroom\/2012\/09\/21\/twitter-ceo-addresses-ona\/","title":{"rendered":"Twitter CEO Addresses ONA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image:<\/a>
Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said users should be able to download all their tweets by the end of the year. (Heikki Polonen \/ ONA Student Newsroom)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Change is hard.<\/p>\n

Journalists attending ONA\u2019s keynote speaker session Friday afternoon wanted to talk about Twitter\u2019s new API versus getting tips on how to stay relevant online.<\/p>\n

More than 500 digital journalists filled a hotel ballroom to hear social media innovator Dick Costolo, Twitter\u2019s CEO, talk about the future of microblogging as well as answer questions about the recent\u2014and controversial\u2014changes made to the social networking service\u2019s interface.<\/p>\n

Users took to their accounts to complain about Twitter\u2019s new API (application programming interface) restricting third-party developers from copying their applications.<\/p>\n

In essence, the new API would limit the number of Twitter-like applications. Instead of multiple versions, such as HootSuite or TweetDeck, there would be only a handful of approved third-party applications.<\/p>\n

Twitter warned users that the changes would be coming soon, Costolo said. But after the policy went into place, critics said the social media giant was attempting to push out third-party Twitter clients.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people think we did a bad job, then it doesn\u2019t matter if I think we did a bad job or not, because we did a bad job,\u201d Costolo said.<\/p>\n

Costolo, who appeared uncomfortable at times during repeated questions concerning the API, was quick to defend the changes, citing \u201ctoo much friction\u201d for the user.<\/p>\n

Moderator Emily Bell, director of Tow Centre for Digital Journalism, helped wrangle the crowd. Bell kept things lively with crass humor and quirky questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow does it feel to be in charge of the free press?\u201d Bell asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see that as my job,\u201d Costolo said, laughing with the audience.<\/p>\n

But not everybody was laughing. Jeff Jarvis, professor at CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, bolted for the microphone when the Q&A session started, inquiring further about the new API.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre there any more shoes you\u2019re going to drop?\u201d Jarvis asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore restrictions? No,\u201d Costolo said.<\/p>\n

Costolo said that with the new API changes, third parties would have a myriad of capabilities to build into the platform.<\/p>\n

Andrew Phelps, staff writer at Nieman Lab, took the mic to explain Twitter is a business. Some people will accept or not accept changes, but the \u201ccommunication of those ideals was done poorly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After the speech, Jarvis said he was satisfied with Costolo\u2019s response. He said he understands that Twitter is a business and must operate that way, but it was the lack of communication that was frustrating.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to love Twitter,\u201d Jarvis said after the keynote address.<\/p>\n

Still, the event wasn\u2019t all criticism of Twitter. Costolo talked about upcoming changes, including the ability to download past Tweets, which he said would roll out by the end of the year.<\/p>\n

He said some Twitter changes, such as improving TweetDeck, could assist journalists.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make TweetDeck \u2026 more powerful for research and investigation purposes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Twitter is \u201cin the media business\u201d because it sells ads, not because it creates content, Costolo said, adding that it is first and foremost a platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cGlobally, it\u2019s been an incredibly valuable tool,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n