"At first glance, the idea of awards for categories on Twitter sounded a bit silly. On further thought, though, it makes perfect sense, and if nothing else provides a fascinating glimpse into the group dynamic of such a service… What I’ve seen is people using this to poke fun at one another, to honor one another, as a sort of boost to those who might feel down, or lonely. It’s brought the community together, and generated a hell of a lot of content, 140 characters or less at a time. Whether or not winning a Shorty Award is going to change anyone’s life in any significant way is yet to be seen."
