Google Deal Would Be 2nd for Twitter Founders

By Tom Dunlap

The Twitsphere and the blogosphere are, yes, all a-twitter today with rumors that Google is getting close to snapping up Twitter.

If it comes to pass, it would be the second coup for Twitter co-founders "Biz" Stone (his real first name is Isaac) and Evan Williams. They sold Blogger to Google just five years ago, turning it into possibly the most popular blogging platform on the planet. (Blogger recently repeated as product of the year at Intranet Journal.)

As Reuters reported today:

Google may be in talks to buy Internet start-up Twitter, the free micro-blogging service that allows people to send short text messages to a network of friends, the TechCrunch Web site said late Thursday.

TechCrunch's article by Michael Arrington said the two companies are also considering working together on a Google real-time search engine.

Google would pay for Twitter in cash or stock or a combination of the two, the website reported.

Industry experts say Arrington has a mixed record but was the first to report the rumor that Google would buy video-sharing site YouTube in late 2006.

Stone posted a non-denial blog about the rumors this morning, entitled "Sometimes We Talk." (Makes me think of some 80s song, and I'm dating myself here, "sometimes when we touch, the honesty's too much.")

Meanwhile, Stone was on The Colbert Report last night, but I fell asleep before I could get to it. Don't worry, it's DVR'd. The great Colbert gave Stone a hard time, as reported by Kara Swisher:

When Stone went on about how Twitter planned to be a "strong, profitable, independent company," Colbert was ready with a zinger.

"You and Pets.com."

Hi-jinks aside, the sale would be a massive feather in Google's cap. The Twitter phenomenon is exploding faster than anything I've seen in ages and it's just going to grow in value.