Holy Hieroglyphs, Black Stylized Shape of a Bat Meant to Represent Batman!
Deb Rox 
Oh happy day, rebus readers of the world. Oh, significant change of semiotic signification!
Did you see Twitter's announcement about #twitterbird? Twitter released a new version of their lovely bluebird logo...but they didn't stop there. Their announcement was laden with more import than a simple visual updrade. Twitter further instructed that they have simplified their identity by kicking from the nest the bubble-fonted word Twitter and the isolated "t." You may not refer to Twitter in those ways, people of the Internet. Your favorite way to sound funny and smart and perhaps be retweeted by @judyblume in 140 characters or less is now the skyward facing blue bird symbol formally known as Twitter.
"From now on, this bird will be the universally recognizable symbol of Twitter," Twitter's creative director @stop (do you see how Twitter has weaned us away from our names, oh yes they have) sang in a post on the company's blog. "Twitter is the bird, the bird is Twitter."
So delete allllll those little "t" buttons on alllllll those websites and television banners and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL THE THINGS, because we don't need a "t." We don't need a "Twitter." Too many characters--it uses up 7 when 1 pictograph will do.
We just need to see a bird and we will all know what that means. It means a tiny message using only a few old-timey letters. First they taught us @ and #, then how to think and comprehend in 140, and now 
.
Sweet Suffering Synecdoche, it's all happening. As predicted by the great prophet 
in 1993, words are X.
I'm going to go read the dictionary for a little bit, while I still can, before it's converted to a slideshow. Maybe I'll scan images on Pinterest for how-to on a DIY Rosetta Stone. Our grandchildren will need it some day. Word. 
Reader Comments (6)
Tell me that it wasn't some grand coincidence that you invoked Prince's former symbol on his BIRTHDAY. :)
I totally didn't know! I should have though--I lifted his symbol from his wikipedia page and didn't even notice. It's like we are connected but then again, so far apart.
WHY MUST EVERYONE CHANGE THINGS AFTER WE'RE USED TO IT? I hope the little T doesn't go away.
You know my feelings about this, but I just want to know how you made that bird! So fun, even if I don't necessarily like it.
I don't like change, but that twee little blue bird is holding his own in this post, yes he is.
How did the man formerly known as's symbol WORK FOR YOU???
I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.