Twitter's Search Results: Popularity over Instantaneity Silences Occasional Users

Never thought I would use the word 'instantaneity'. After I wrote it, I Googled it to make sure it was even a word. It is. Anyway.

News from a few days ago is that Twitter plans to search results by order of popularity, rather than the newest first. I read about it in the mX but if you wanna know more check here. The arguments raised in the mX in favour of this were that ranking by popularity would lower the reach of spambots that automatically retweet messages, and would afford regular users more reach.

I've only been on Twitter for about five (human) days, e.g. 120 hours. so feel ill-advised to comment, BUT on the face I think it's a bit alienating. Part of the beauty of Twitter is that regular/occasional users can tweet something and it's instantly made available for everyone. Here, people who already have reach may get more just by becoming increasingly popular. It might become harder for the newer users looking to establish their online presence.

Just a final point, the Gen Y Marketing podcast were saying that Facebook may institute two forms of status update in the near future; one which goes public to everyone on Facebook, and the other which goes only to your friends/people you want it too. Whilst it won't replace Twitter, it enroaches upon its territory a bit and may damage it. What do you guys think?

P.S. Just remembered another argument raised for the Twitter change was "the popularity of similar measures being implemented on Facebook's NewsFeed" - it seems that ever since MySpace became so mid-2000s no-one considers themselves able to go against Facebook, but just a supplement to it.