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__Some Twitter users are so adept at crafting masterpieces within the site's skimpy 140-character-per-post limit that a group has created a special award to honor them.
The Twitties will go to top Twitterers in a dozen categories, including Flirty Tweets, Best Breaking News and Best Avatar.
"We were sitting around the office joking about the need for awards for the best Tweets," said Charlie Chambers of iFractal, the consulting firm that created the contest, in an interview Tuesday. "So, we registered the site, wrote up the copy, designed and coded it as a side project."
Chambers said his team isn't affiliated with Twitter, but the crew of avid Twitterers decided to tap the social networking site's 2 million-plus user base for nominations -- and received more than 1,200 entries.
"We pared down those nominations in a grueling overtime deathmatch on the office floor," said Chambers. He and his cohorts selected 65 entries to compete across the 12 categories.
Nominated tweets range from the outrageous -- "Best Imagined Tweet: "Having the worst sex ever. I don't know, I just can't seem to get into it." (from txt)," posted by user GorillaSushi -- to the informative: "Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!" posted by NASA spacecraft MarsPhoenix.
Chambers said his team originally planned to dole out a $140 prize to the winning scribe, but that was before submissions topped a thousand. Instead, winners will receive an embeddable badge for their Twitter pages that shows they have some of the pithiest hands in the microblogosphere.
At least, until the 2009 Twitties.
Voting for the 2008 Twitties ends Sept. 12.
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