The Genesis of Twitter

I was just getting my fill of Genesis music the other day. For those who care I usually don’t go too far past the first four albums post Peter Gabriel era. As I listened to “Then There Were Three” I got to the last cut on that album (Yes, I remember and still have the vinyl) which is “Follow You, Follow Me” and I had an epiphany.

In that brief moment it dawned on me that the genius behind Twitter was actually Phil Collins. This whole Evan Williams and Biz Stone thing (what kind of a Hollywood name is that anyway…..could it be more fake to cover up Mr. Collins influence?) is an elaborate front to cover up the real truth about Twitter. So I did what any good Twitiot who has more idle time than he knows what to do with would do. I wasted ridiculous amounts of irretrievable time to uncover the truth about Twitter. I am now revealing it for the first time exclusively here at Frank Thinking. Oh boy!

While not professionally conducted, my research has put some of the pieces together for the rest of us. By setting the idea of the whole ‘following’ thing in motion all those years ago in song, Phil obviously paved the way for Twitter by helping people get accustomed to the idea that if ‘I follow you, you will follow me’ (why didn’t I think of this?!). It is almost like we have been brainwashed to a degree. Thus when he unleashed Twitter on the world via these other guys (so as to divert attention from his real genius), the Twitterverse was primed.

Rumor has it, in fact, that the idea may have actually had its genesis (did you catch that cool play on words?) during the sessions for the “Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” and an early iteration was code named Rael. If that is even remotely true you can bet that Messr. Gabriel will be looking for a significant piece of Twitter-pie after Phil and the company go public.

It is becoming more well known in circles that you and I can only think about (kind of the Skull and Bones Club of the Twitterati) that the real hardcore development of Twitter (which was originally named Squonk but that name suited a song better apparently) happened in between the Duke and Abacab albums. When the rest of the band got wind of what that freakin’ rocket scientist, Phil, was up to they wanted in as well. Mike Rutherford cut a deal early on for his continued silence and Tony Banks is apparently negotiating feverishly with Phil’s legal team in an English castle right this very minute!

It now is very obvious that Phil’s ‘focus’ on a solo career had nothing to do with his art. He distanced himself from those who knew his secret and went into ‘hiding’. It’s at this point that the story really gets murky and becomes a real land of confusion (did you get that one?! I am so clever!).

So there you have folks. Twitter is the brain child of a rock icon. Ah, how the rich get richer. Now I have to get back to my research and piece together the ‘Reunion Years’ and their impact on the Twitter we all know and pathetically obsess over today.

Stay tuned!