Are You A Twitpic? It’s Okay, Really.

Twitpic recently announced that they would be shutting down after a recent spat with Twitter over Twitpic's name. The Twitpic problem is a fairly common one, but one that can be avoided, fixed or simply enjoyed.

Twitpic is essentially a value added service provider for Twitter users, meaning that it exists to provide an extra service or make twitter easier to use. Just like any value added service provider, the problem is how to achieve symbiosis with Twitter (i.e., how to provide the value add, alert users what it is used for, and eventually sell your company to the service you depend on) and not become a hostage to Twitter. I say hostage because a successful value added reseller will eventually become the competition to the company it depends on.