How Google is responsible for Twitter’s Terms of Service: All your Tweets are belong to us!

Be warned this is two post sandwiched into one as I try to delineate Twitter’s Google connection.

On the 5th September, 2009 not only did Google change their logo, but they also tweeted the following message on their @google Twitter feed:

1.12.12 25.15.21.18 15 1.18.5 2.5.12.15.14.7 20.15 21.19

This is a coded message. It’s very simple to decode this message! All you need to do is write down all the letters of the alphabet and number them in sequential order ( A=1, B=2, C=3, and so on). Once you decode this message it will read: “All your O are belong to Us“. It is Google’s reference to the popular internet meme “All your base are belong to us”

The explanation of this “Unexplained Phenomenon” can be found here.

Now onto the real thing. Few days back Twitter also changed their Terms of Service. What’s more Co-founder of Twitter Biz Stone blogged about Twitter’s New Terms of Service.

Under the Ownership clause he said:

Twitter is allowed to “use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute” your tweets because that’s what we do. However, they are your tweets and they belong to you.

Now can anybody see the connection between Google’s unexplained phenomenon or mystery with Twitter’s change of heart about their terms of service?

Doesn’t the above paragraph about Twitter’s copyright policy sound very contradictory? On one hand, they are saying our tweets are our property while Twitter is allowed to do whatever they like with it. Huh! To me in plain-vanilla English it means – Tweet as you may but “All your Tweets are belong to us” 🙂 What do you guys think? All opinions are welcome because “All your Opinions are belong to me” 😉