It’s interesting to read reports stating that over 60% of new sign-ups to the micro-blogging phenomenon Twitter leave after just one month. The lack of functionality of Twitter compared to other mediums like Facebook and MySpace could be one reason for this, or maybe the recent surge of press interest led to some passing through to see what all the fuss was about.

Twitter’s strength has always been in it’s simplicity in allowing conversations and news feeds to formulate and evolve. But as other forms of social media develop, this could prove to be the achilles heel in Twitter’s long-term sustainability, leaving the tweeting nest very much half empty

News that communications companies are being asked to record all internet contacts between people to modernise police surveillance tactics in the UK is a worrying development in the fast changing digital age, and a further step towards becoming a full blown surveillance state. The new system would track all e-mails, phone calls and internet use, including visits to social network sites.

The project will cost £2bn to set up. The real cost however will be the further erosion of privacy. Some will argue if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn’t be concerned, but the ramifications of having your every email, phone call, twitter or facebook chat being logged and analysed is nonetheless a worrying development of the loss of liberty in the modern age.