Twitter experiment sends out breaking news direct messages
@eventparrot, which appears to be a test by the company, distributes information to followers.
(Credit: Screenshot by Shara Tibken/CNET)
Twitter may be testing out a new breaking news notification system called Event Parrott.
The account, @eventparrot, sends direct messages to users who follow it, allowing them to 'keep up with what's happening in the world.' It currently has about 7,000 followers, including Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and co-founders Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams. So far, the account has posted no public tweets, just direct messages.
Right now it's unclear whether Twitter is running the account. The profile calls itself a Twitter experiment, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's an official company test. We've contacted Twitter and will update the report when we have more information.
As TechCrunch pointed out, Twitter has run clandestine accounts before to try out new ideas. The @magicrecs account turned out to be a test that led to Twitter's addition of push recommendations for accounts to follow and interesting tweets. Like @eventparrot, @magicrecs started with the phrase 'This is a Twitter experiment.' In late September, Twitter revealed in a blog post that it had used the account to test out sending instant, personalized recommendation for users and content via direct message.
As Twitter edges closer to its IPO, the pressure is on not just to generate revenue, but to demonstrate that it still has a lot of growth potential. One particular strength for the company is Twitter's use as a news distribution center. Big stories have started to break on Twitter, and having a direct notification system could be a way to expand that capability. Presumably, Twitter could find some way to charge news outlets to distribute their information through the account.
The company is hoping to raise $1 billion with its IPO, despite the fact that it has never made a dime of profit. In fact, its S-1 filing revealed that it had lost $69 million in the first half of 2013, up from $49 million in losses a year earlier. Clearly, the company has no choice but to do whatever it can to boost revenues, as well as attract and keep users.
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