A new Twitter-based stats site offers a striking new perspective on the micro-blogging service.
TweetRush keeps track of the number of messages sent over a period of time, with updates every 15 minutes, and the current numbers are nowhere near some previous estimates.
TechCrunch reported an unconfirmed estimate of 3 million tweets per day back in April.
But the past week shows under 900,000 tweets per day, with only half a million as of this morning. Not that these are horrible to begin with, but it is quite a discrepancy.
The TweetRush folks are apparently on the case, and think that current data is being under reported, according to TechCrunch. The site doesn't track direct messages or private user tweets.
TweetRush is a testbed for a new analytic engine, RushHour, which monitors actions and events rather than page clicks or views. And lead developer AJ McKee says they gather their data passively rather than through a direct connection with the site, so “even if Twitter has a whale moment, TweetRush works off historical data.”
