Today seems to be all about Twitter. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, news of which spread by Twitter well before the mainstream media started their coverage, Michael Arrington at TechCrunch argues against the naysayers decrying Twitter’s usefulness as a breaking news medium, saying: “This is the same argument that mainstream journalists used against blogs when they rose to fill a void in the news over the last few years. … But blogs are nothing compared to Twitter, which lets anyone with a cell phone instantly update the world with what they see and hear, via the simple and ubiquitous text message.”

Mathew Ingram agrees that Twitter is a source of journalism: “…chaotic situations result in poor information flow — even to the “professional” journalists who are working at the scene. First-hand and second-hand reports on Twitter are no worse. Should anyone take them as gospel, or the final version of the events? No. Obviously, at some point someone has to check the facts, confirm reports, analyze the outcome, and so on. News reporting and journalism are much more of a process than they are a discrete thing. But as I have tried to argue before, Twitter reports are a valuable “first draft of history,” and that is a pretty good definition of the news.”

Arrington and Ingram were both responding to Tom at Tom’s Tech Blog who says: “the noise that twitter generates in situations like these is downright cruel and dangerous.”

Twitter as a tool for (epic) social change
In keeping with the holiday spirit for our American readers (happy Thanksgiving, you lot) comes a story of Epic Change, a not-for-profit charity throwing down the gauntlet to the Twitterverse, with a goal ‘to demonstrate the power of the social web by raising $10,000 in 48 hours to build a classroom in Tanzania’. Grateful tweeple have not disappointed; the fundraising meter was 76% of the way there at the time of writing.

Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins at Mashable describes it as: “…one part meme, one part fundraiser, with the stated goal of ‘celebration of gratitude and giving.“

Yet another demonstration of how valuable social media tools can be for those who know how to use its powers for good, rather than evil. Alas, on this side of the pond, Stephen Waddington at Rainier PR has it in for those trying to cash in on social media when they can’t demonstrate an understanding of the basic rules of engagement.

Wadds rants: “A glossy PR Week insert is out today containing essays from apparent social media leaders. And very impressive it looks too. But is this the right format for promoting social media expertise? I think not, in spades.The Thought Leader publication contains essays from folk across the industry, some making some excellent points about social media. But of the 13 contributors I can find only five that blog regularly. Come on guys make a bloody effort. Use the toolkit that you profess to provide to your clients.“

BlackBerry Storm victim to @StephenFry?
Reviews of R.I.M.’s latest offering, the BlackBerry Storm are rolling in, and to be honest, it’s kind of painful to watch. David Pogue thinks the BlackBerry Dud would be a better name for it: “The first sign of trouble was the concept: a touch-screen BlackBerry. That’s right — in its zeal to cash in on some of that iPhone touch-screen mania, R.I.M. has created a BlackBerry without a physical keyboard.Hello? Isn’t the thumb keyboard the defining feature of a BlackBerry? A BlackBerry without a keyboard is like an iPod without a scroll wheel. A Prius with terrible mileage. Cracker Jack without a prize inside.”

Silicon Alley Insider presents a summary of the six other things that Pogue hates about the BB Storm, while BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones muses: “Wondering whether @StephenFry is the new trusted guide to gadgets – and whether his twitter remarks have killed the Blackberry Storm.”

Cellan-Jones was referring to 20-minute window in which Fry tweeted his initial thoughts about the Storm:

Been playing with the BB Storm. Shockingly bad. I mean embarrassingly awful. Such a disappointment. Rushed out unfinished. What a pity x 2:14 PM Nov 23rd from web

Yes,I blame n’works more than RIM. Problems are terrible lag: inaccurate t’screen, awful, slow and fiddly text input. I SO wanted to like it 2:21 PM Nov 23rd from web

Plus the GPS maps won’t work – issue with BIS connections. I see from forums postings this is widespread in the UK. iPhone killer? Ha! x 2:22 PM Nov 23rd from web

And no WiFi, which is weird….. 2:22 PM Nov 23rd from web

Given Fry’s DorkTalk cred and roughly 20,000 strong Twitter following, Cellan-Jones may well have a point.