remember that Twitter Lists? Six Years Later, Nuzzel Makes Them useful

back in 2009, Twitter introduced a function it known as lists—the ability for someone to assemble a feed constituted of the feeds of any number of Twitter users. I bought excited over it, and immediately constructed the sort of listing.

after which I pretty much moved on, and have rarely thought of Twitter lists ever given that. as far as i will inform, i have a variety of firm: there isn’t any proof that the Twitter of 2015 considers them to be an important function.

however Nuzzel—the nifty iOS app and web site that finds profitable stuff for you to learn in accordance with what your pals are sharing—just made Twitter lists interesting again in the end these years. it is introducing a brand new feature referred to as “customized feeds” that takes a Twitter list and lets you browse online articles shared with the aid of the people whose feeds make up that listing.

Nuzzel can do that with existing Twitter lists—here is a customized feed in keeping with undertaking capitalist Marc Andreessen’s record of tech-trade figures—but its creators are priming the pump by way of growing Twitter lists on quite a few topics. here is one on libraries. This one is on wine. And here is one on hockey.

As all the time with Nuzzel, what’s appealing is the feeling of loosely curated serendipity. You would not go to the app anticipating that it will inform you about every main news story, and some tales may be off-subject. (The wine custom feed currently has an obituary for delusion author Terry Pratchett—it appears folks within the wine trade cared enough about his passing to share it.) however Nuzzel is very good at alerting you to gadgets that make for rewarding reading and would possibly not make it to the top of a information site such as Google information or Techmeme.

The function nonetheless feels a bit experimental, partially as a result of there isn’t any equipped approach to find customized feeds in the iOS app other than to stumble throughout them in your pals’ feeds. however Nuzzel CEO Jonathan Abrams tells me that the company is planning to add search, subscriptions, and bookmarks, which must permit you to use Nuzzel in a more matter-driven model. (He hinted at this path for the app once I talked to him final yr for a fast firm function.)

i am fascinated with customized feeds mostly as a result of they must make Nuzzel better, especially as the corporate builds out their performance. however six years after I found out and then forgot about Twitter lists, i’m enthusiastic about them once more. Who knew that it might be a company rather than Twitter itself that will do the job?