Pretty interesting talk about how the modern Twitter phenomenon has its antecedents in Medieval Scandinanvian rune-sticks, which were used to jot down little bits of information such as:

• “Gyða says you should go home.”
• “They are both living together, Clumsy-Kari and and Vilhjalm’s wife.”
• “Ingebjorg loved me when I was in Stavanger.”
• “Arni the priest wants Inga.”
• “I love another man’s wife so much that fire seems cold to me.And I am that woman’s lover.”
• “I would rather visit the mead-houses more often!”