More and more people in today’s society are turning to Micro Blogging. A Micro Blog is more commonly known as a status update in 140 characters or less. There is an increasingly used question out there as to what Micro Blogging platform should be used, Twitter or Plurk?

Twitter came to the world in Early 2006, out of San Fransisco, California. It really made it’s mark after The 2007 new year with thousands of new users. So many users that there are rumors floating the internet that they are the cause of the recent blackouts of the Twitter system. Twitter is notoriously known for these server crashes with some so unsatisfactory that they have caused unprecedented damage to the instant messaging application tied in to Twitter. The instant messaging application came out to ease the agonizing pain of going on to the web, instead giving you the ability of adding a Twitter Contact to your IM friends list. This ended up failing in Mid 2008, due to a rumored server melt down.

In August 2008 Twitter Twitter to the displeasure of their users decided to limit the amount of people you can follow. They answered the question of why they were applying these limits by saying this on their website.

Starting with 140 characters per update, Twitter has always been about limits, embracing the idea that constraint inspires creativity. The new limits do not restrain reasonable usage, and thus, will not affect most people. We do, however, hope to discourage unreasonable usage that alarms the people affected by it. These limits also alleviate some of the existing strain on the invisible part of Twitter: fewer robots and whales.

Below are a few of their new limitations:

  • 1,000 total updates per day, on any and all devices
  • 250 total direct messages per day, on any and devices
  • 100 API requests per hour
  • Maximum number of follow attempts in a day

These limitations have stalled users from freely reaching new people, and raise new content into their communities. They say that these restrictions are to prevent bots and wales from interfering with the community of Twitter. In my diminutive view adding these limitations to the already 140 characters or less are a cover up for keeping their servers running, and preventing shut downs of their system.

Twitter still remains the home base for the Internets micro blogging, as a majority of the micro blogging users continue to use the disintegrating Twitter Platform. Although a select few large-scale names including Leo Laporte have left the Twitter platform. In Leo’s case, he has created his own Micro-blogging website based off of Leconica called Twit Army.

In the past Twitter has also had problems with their follow feature with error messages popping up frequently when attempting to follow a different person. This could also be implemented with their reasons for posting limitations to the service. This would be referred to as overwhelming the servers with follow requests.

Then along came a new micro blogging website commonly known as Plurk. Plurk a virtual copy of Twitter ads features to the already booming micro blogging system including a time line, karma, and more stats available to the user, and to the public. This ads a certain animation that Twitter was and is still missing. With the ability to scroll along the time line for an unlimited amount, Plurk makes it easier for you to reach back into your social archives. They also allow you to see your friends Plurk’s in a similar fasion allowing you to scroll through them as well. Plurk makes it easier for you to switch from the Twitter platform to the Plurk allowing you to pull in your Twitter friends to your Plurk account.

Now as i mentioned a little earlier, Plurk has an interesting feature in addition to their time line called Karma. Karma in my opinion is an easier way for you to visualize how much your using Plurk. You get Karma by producing quality Plurks daily, inviting friends to Plurk, receiving responses from your followers, and updating your profile frequently. There are also ways in which you can loose Karma like requesting friendship and suffering rejection, becoming unfollowed by your followers, producing spam and spreading it throughout your followers, and if you are inactive for a substantial amount of time. This in Plurks case really helps them in distinguishing who is actually using Plurk versus who just signed up and left.

Plurk like Twitter has an Instant Messaging contact that you are able to add. In Plurks case, it actually works. All you have to do is add their contact to your Instant Messengers friends list and post updates directly from there.

Plurk also ads a unique sense of animation to their website including a little code you can use in your Plurks that allow you to post in different colors. It makes it easier for the follower to tell what kind of mood you are in. For example: You could describe yourself as what you are feeling like, what your thinking, what you love, or what you were. Plurk has it described in a simpler format, you can view that by clicking here.

Here are a few other features that Plurk has to offer.

  • The ability to share media, and Youtube Videos
  • The ability to share an “advanced” Plurk
  • A mobile page in which you can view online
  • Qualifiers
  • The ability to share a simplified plurk

There are plenty more insignificant features that Plurk offers. The main things that Plurk offers versus Twitter is that they make it more exciting to interact with other people in the Plurk community. Plurk also tends to have more up time compared to Twitter. There have been very few occasions in which i have heard of Plurk’s servers being down.

The upsides on Twitter is that they have more of a community, and you are able to reach a larger audience. It is also more known around the internet community, and has a larger professional base of users. They are also more famously known vs Plurk. An example of that would be the fact that they played host to the Vice President noticed Barack Obama released to the public. Twitter also plays host to Kevin Rose, CNN, Jason Calacanis, Robert Scoble, John C. Dvorak, Micheal Arrington, and Chris Pirillo.

All in all, Twitter still wins the battle with a larger base of users. The thought of Plurk is great buy they need to grow with both a substantial user base, and popularity. Plurk just doesn’t live up to the popularity of Twitter. On the other hand Twitter needs to pick it up. They are losing more and more users to other forms of communication and micro blogging.

Don’t forget you can still ad me on both:

Twitter

&

Plurk