Twitter Acquires Tweetie: Did Atebits Sell out to the Man?

April 12, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

Over the weekend, the news of the Twitter acquisition of Atebits’ Tweetie, one of the most popular iPhone Twitter apps, was a topic of both positive and negative discussion. The news began to circulate on Friday, April 9th, shortly on the heels of the official launch of the Twitter for BlackBerry app. Twitter has already made it clear that the application will be renamed Twitter for iPhone and rereleased sometime in the near future (probably by the time iPhone OS 4.0 is released).

These are the facts. This is where the news stops, and the Op-Ed starts. Consider yourself forewarned because we’re delving into a topic that requires actual analytical thought, from this point forward.

Immediately after the news began circulating on Twitter, the social media network which can always be counted upon to provide a wide range of opinions, from its millions of users. With regard to the topic of the Twitter/Atebits deal, the opinions ranged from excited to bitter. On one side, there are many who see it as a good thing. They theorize that, since Twitter will be in control of the redesign/redevelopment of the product for its newest iteration, it will provide the functionality and stability that the already outstanding application needed to achieve zen-like status.

On the other side, though, there are those who feel cheated because they paid $1.99 for the initial Tweetie client. Then, despite the perceived unfairness of it, they shelled out another $2.99 for the second generation version, Tweetie 2. Now, what would happen? Would there be no more updates? Would the software still work when Twitter for iPhone was released?

Lurking around the middle area between both camps there are a few who have gone as far as to say that Loren Brichter, the app’s developer, has sold out. A review of posts on the MacHeist Forums reflects the range of opinions mentioned and includes a few that clearly subscribe to the “sell-out” theory. There are undoubtedly other forums, websites, and social networks where the same has been said. Brichter sold out and left his loyal customers high and dry.

Is this really the case? Did Brichter and, by proxy, Atebits sell out to the man…err…Twitter? Is this situation another example of a developer who found a way to unlock the true potential of Twitter (read: iPhone Jailbreakers)? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding, “No.” Let’s look at it from an objective viewpoint. If we do, we know these to be the facts of the matter:

Brichter is a developer who built a great product. He was able to get it accepted into the Apple App Store. Many, many, many people downloaded it because it provided 99% of the functionality they wanted. It was so great that when Twitter (who we might recall actually invented the platform for which Brichter subsequently developed his app) decided they wanted to develop their own iPhone app, they went straight to Atebits. They made a great offer. Brichter recognized a great opportunity. He signed. They announced. The drama began.

Admittedly, I have personal feelings regarding Tweetie and Tweetie 2. For me, it represents what all other Twitter clients want to be when they grow up. On several occasions, I have strayed from it to try other apps. Without exception, though, I have always returned to Tweetie. My appreciation for it and loyalty toward it, though, does not preclude me from being able to see the facts in the Twitter/Atebits deal.

To reiterate the point, Brichter was not a revolutionary trying to unlock the full, hidden potential of what Twitter built. He wasn’t a Twitter Jedi pledging to rid the universe of API faults concocted by forces of the darkside. There was no principle, statement, or movement involved. I’m sure it was fun, but I doubt he did it for fun. It probably had more to do with the fact that he had a desire to develop something cool but was also faced with the reality of needing to eat and have a place to live.

In Richter’s case, he did it so well that people noticed. They paid money to download his app, either individually or as part of the MacHeist bundle. Most importantly, the right people noticed….the forces of Twitter. Through agreeing to Twitter’s offer, he has achieved the dream of many past, present, and future software developers. He has not cheated anyone. He has not become disloyal. He has not sold out to the man. Were we in his position, we probably would have done the same thing. Imagine, now Richter’s intelligence and creativity is backed up with much more capital. Imagine what he can not only come up with but actually have the funding to make.

Don’t be upset, thinking you lost $1.99 or $2.99 (of which Apple took 30% ) for Tweetie for iPhone or, in the case of some, $20 for the MacHeist Bundle. We all waste more than that amount on computer and gadget accessories, double-shot lattes, and one-hit wonder iTunes songs. In the end, Richter made your tweeting more productive, effective, and enjoyable. So, instead of accusing him of selling out to the man, just say thanks for giving you a couple moments of fun. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say…or tweet…anything at all.