Who would have thought that 140 characters could tell a story? Facebook is a multidimensional social network with many features that allow users to personalize, whether it is adding events to their timeline, publishing pictures, or instant messaging friends, Facebook has a plethora of features.
Twitter, the second largest social network on the planet with over 250 million monthly users, is finally adding some flare to the typical tweet. Yesterday, Twitter announced Vine a video sharing smartphone application that allows users to create looping videos and easily embed them in tweets. The app is currently only available for IOS devices and integrates seamlessly into Twitter. On Twitter’s blog Michael Sippey, the Vice President of Product, explained that Vine allows users to show their creativity with six-second clips.
Here’s an example: Harlan playing the guitar.
After the application is downloaded on your iPhone or iPod Touch a quick tutorial begins and explains how to start taking quick snapshot videos. Once a user is ready to take video all that is required is a simple press and hold of the screen. When many quick video shots are completed vine chronologically plays back the video that has been created and prompts the user to share on Vine, Twitter, or Facebook.
When the tweet is published a user simply clicks in Vine’s shortened URL or expands the tweet to view the looping video. Other small features on the Vine interface allow users to explore the most popular creative videos that were published as well as give “likes” or comment on videos.
The clean and minimalistic interface allows for a simple navigating experience. As users scroll down the Vine timeline videos play instantaneously with no load time. Critics are already warning that Vine has the potential to junk up the Twitter newsfeed with its instant play feature similar to the way GIFs have blossomed over the past year on Google+.
Vine also has the potential to take some attention away from Facebook Video. Often Facebook is the primary platform for uploading short personal videos but Vine’s creative splicing and separate smartphone application allow it to potentially become the Instagram of video.
What do you think of Vine? Hit or Miss? Share your comments below.