Google Joins Twitter: Google is "Feeling Lucky"

Search engine giant Google has joined Twitter and created a profile that can be viewed here. The profile was created just a few short days ago, but has already grown to nearly 40,000 followers, and there are plenty more sure to follow soon. Google currently follows only a handful of people by comparison, and it's been speculated that many of the Tweeters Google follows are actual Google employees.

This move on Google's part has a lot of people wondering: is a Google/Twitter buyout on the horizon?

Google's first 'tweet', as messages posted on Twitter are called, was the following:

• "I'm 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101011 01111001 00001010"

This message was posted on February 25th, from the actual Twitter website, and when translated from binary to text, it read: I'm feeling lucky.

When visiting the Google home page, one finds two buttons for search results: 1) 'Google search' to return search results to the search string in Google and 2) "I'm feeling lucky" to take the searcher to the most likely website based on the search results.

Google has also posted once from an application called PowerTwitter, on February 26th, which ironically is a Mozilla Firefox add on application. With Google having a competing browser in their Google Chrome, which has just recently come out of beta testing, one could find it interesting that Google would post from a competing browser's application, on a website that some on the web have indicated might be a competing site for Google--Twitter.

With a list of Google acquisitions now over 50 total, including video giant YouTube, the internet is buzzing with questions over what exactly Google's intentions are in joining and participating in Twitter.

Facebook, a social networking giant on the internet, made a bid to buy Twitter, offering over $500 million in stock and cash last, but Twitter refused the offer. If Google decides to make a similar offer, one can only speculate at what the terms might be if an offer to buy Twitter is made by Google.

Google's 'tweets' so far have consisted of thanks for all the @replies they received, surprise at the overwhelming response to their presence on Twitter, and links to their blog, to some orchestra awards, and some information about popular search trends. @ replies on Twitter are direct public messages from one use to another.

Besides the main Google Twitter account, there are various Google product accounts, all of which are followers (friends connected on Twitter) of the main Google Twitter account. These product accounts include: Blogger/Blogspot, Adwords, YouTube, Google Reader, and more.

The web techs all have an eye on Google's moves and there is a buzz about what Google's intentions with Twitter are. If nothing else, this has been heralded as a good move on Google's part to help reach a segment of internet users that might otherwise not be aware of the various products and blogs maintained by Google.

As for Google's intentions with Twitter, that remains a mystery and to be seen.

Sources:

Twitter/Google Page:
http://twitter.com/Google

Google Chrome:
http://www.google.com/chrome

MediaShift:
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/01/warning-dependence-on-facebook-twitter-could-be-hazardous-to-your-business029.html

Wikiepedia: Google Acquisitions List
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acquisitions_by_Google