How important architectural choices are in creating viral applications? Very important in encouraging retweeting for example, from James Governor’s Monkchips blog:

Tim O’Reilly says:

As one of the most prolific retweeters around, I want to give a shout out to twhirl for encouraging retweet behavior by giving a simple button to do it. I don’t think I would ever have adopted retweeting with such gusto without that easy feature.

This example illustrates just how important architectural choices are in creating viral applications.

What’s so wonderful about twitter is that its minimal interface has led to an explosion of user and third-party application innovation. It’s a bit like what Alexander Pope said about writing in rhymed couplets: the limits of the form made his creativity shoot out, as water from a fountain.

Related posts:

1. How easy is it to replicate Silicon Valley’s innovation in Europe?
2. Viral loops as a subset of feedback loops in social media
3. Why social networking for nerds ain’t easy
4. Loops – Daily, Viral
5. The Conservatives go viral