Growth Matters: Twitter tweets a happy tune

With all the gloom in the global economy, I got to wondering whether there is anything else going on in the world of business. I'm looking for growth because I think that's what will ultimately bring the economy out of the doldrums. Not surprisingly, that growth is coming from technology companies. In Growth Matters, I look at consumer technology companies that point the way to growth trends -- and in the process introduce services and products you may want to explore

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Twitter is one of the most successful tech startups of the last several years. It lets people post short messages about what's on their mind and to see the same for their colleagues and friends. As co-founder Biz Stone told me, Twitter is "the pulse of what is happening right now-around the world or among a small group. To explain Twitter to someone unfamiliar with it, I'd probably show Twitter Search and then show how to get more involved."