Mainstreaming Twitter: Old Vs. Young

Dvorak isn’t the only cranky geek out there, MSNBC’s Helen A.S. Popkin recently went on a tear against Twitter. Claiming that tool isn’t for the old, witness Popkin’s dry analogies:

"Admit it or not, inability to immediately embrace Twitter means you’re old... See? 'Logan’s Run.' Twitter is the lifeclock crystal implanted in the palm of your hand at birth. Once it starts blinking, it’s your time to renew on Carousel. And nobody ever comes back from Carousel. Admitting you don’t “get” Twitter is like admitting you can’t hear those specialized ring tones only audible to the young. That your crystal is blinking."

Wha… Huh… Crystals… Carousels…? I’m a bonfide, hardcore sci-fi head, but falling back on the old “if you’re old, you won’t get new technology” is, well, the oldest, most used-up mainstream journalist trick in the book. Arthur C. Clark has been an old fogey for a long time and he seems to do just fine inventing our satellites and space elevators. Enough with the age schtick. If you are feeling old, blame it on your gelatinous paunch, not technology.