FortySouth

Twitter as a microblogging platform has in the last 2 1/2 years grown rather rapidly from simply a “What are you doing now?” update repository, to an important news outlet as was in the case of the AA Flight 1549 Hudson landing, and in socio-political activism as was the case in the Prop 8 debate.

Pew Internet conducted a study on Twitter users – the demographics and their propensities. Of note is that, although most Twitter users are “overwhelmingly young” the median age is 31 (contrast that to Facebook’s – 26, LinkedIn’s – 40 and MySpace’s – 27).

Also, 76% of Twitter users connect to the internet wirelessly, more likely with their mobile phones, and their use of technology “reveals their affinity for mobile, untethered and social opportunities for interaction”.

Read Twitter and Status Updating [via Pew].

During his talk, more memorable for the mosquitoes he released into the audience, Bill Gates offered some insight on two global issues his Foundation is working on:

1. How do you stop a deadly disease spread by a mosquito?
2. How do you make a teacher great?

More info on the progress on malaria, AIDS and Education initiatives can be read from his Annual Letter.

The Reader’s Digest has a list of the world’s 9 most dangerous leaders. So which African autocrats have graced it?

Robert Mugabe goes without saying. Perhaps lesser known are Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan and Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea.