It is quite something to behold, how a website with a healthy but comparatively low number of users just one year ago could become one of the most powerful tools in the information sector. Twitter has become the tool for people who want something to become known widespread in a short space of time - and has had a major effect on the careers of individuals, and the way that people find out news if they are on the move or in a setting where standard web surfing or watching the television is not possible. 

If someone does, or says something ill-advised, it will end up on the Internet very quickly. The power of Twitter is that, very quickly, someone can post a link to the website where that information is posted. This will then be read by everyone who is "following" the person who posted the link. They can then repost it, and from the point where it was originally posted, it can be spread around the world within minutes. It is no wonder that some individuals are fearful of the spread of Twitter, and others overjoyed by its existence. It is the gossip-monger's dream.  

There is some debate over whether the existence of a website - although it is by now much more than just a site - which allows such swift transfer of information is a good thing. Certainly you either love or hate the absence of immediate moderation which allows rumors to take flight so easily - but it is hard to remain indifferent.