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Twitter launches a status symbol
Posted by Jaan on June 12th, 2009 | 2 comments
Twitter has started verifying the authenticity of “well-known accounts that have had problems with impersonation or identity confusion“. These include celebrities, public officials and certain public agencies here in the US like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (@CDCemergency).
I think this is a brilliant idea, especially when it comes to elected officials, emergency services etc. And especially since I actually believed that the real Dalai Lama was following me earlier this year…
The program is not likely to include us regular users any time soon. Cost and time are quoted as reasons why the service is not offered on a larger scale (that and the “beta” tag, presumably… and maybe the fact that not many people would actually benefit from being verified).
Despite, or thanks to this, the “Verified Account” badge on Twitter pages is certain to become something of a status symbol.
What is your take on the initiative? Is it a good idea that will cut confusion, or would Twitter’s resources be better served elsewhere? Will the badge become a status symbol? Please share your thoughts in the comments, or on Twitter where I am @orvet (unverified, but it’s me I promise).
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The problem with verifying an account is how do you decide who is the right person for it?
There must be a few Britney Spears in the US, so which one get the verified account? Probably “the” Britney, right? But then you build discrimination based on “famousness” into the system. What do you do if there are two “famous” persons with the same name? How about if there is one “B-celebrity” in the US with the same name as an “A-celebrity” in Sweden? What decides you celebrity status? Number of followers? Tricky questions…
Good question!
I’m thinking that a system similar to, but infinitely simpler than, the one used to determine domain name rights could be used.
At the very least looking at who was the better known person, who’s “used” the name for the longest period of time, and who could it reasonably be argued that a majority of people would associate with the name.
The international aspect is trickier as sites and companies from certain countries seem to have an easier time claiming rights that are sometimes arbitrary at best.