It’s so simple really, and not at all new. It’s the original Facebook model, before it became huge.

Twitter is about proximity. Over the past year I have sent about 100 Twitter “tweets”. Over the past week I doubled that. Why? All the people who I am following, and who were following me, were all in the same location (at SXSW conference in Austin).

Proximity changed everything.

Previously, I would have argued that if you saw my tweet “Going to Stubbs for some BBQ” it would provide you with a topic of conversation for the future. When you see me next, you can ask what I thought of the famous Stubbs ribs instead of just approaching me with a broad question like “How are things?”.

But proximity adds another layer. Now, you can join me at Stubbs if you like. I broadcast I would be there at lunchtime, and if you were to come, you would find me there and you can trust that I would welcome the company (because if I wanted to be left alone, I wouldn’t have broadcast where I’d be to the world).

I wasn’t in college when Facebook came onto the scene, but I imagine this was how it originally became huge. Students, on the same campus, updating their activity (late for class, in the dining hall, studying in the library) so other students on the campus could find them.