• New York Times, Monday, November 2, 2009 1:50 PM

As inconsequential and inane as so much of the Twittersphere seems, even staunch intellectuals are falling victim to its unprecedented distributive powers. Take, for example, the armchair book critic who recently tweeted of the tweets of Stephen Fry, the British writer, actor and television personality: "Much as I admire and adore the chap, they are a bit ... boring." As a result, the Birmingham-based man attracted a frenzy of vitriolic attacks along with public scorn.

Along with power as a real-time and open broadcast platform, "it was also an example of how Twitter reinforces the tendency of adults to behave like high school students, passing rude notes, spreading exaggerated rumors and obsessing endlessly -- and pointlessly -- about who said what mean thing about whom," the Times writes. To borrow Sprint's current slogan: Welcome to the now network.

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