Microsoft-LinkedIn Deal Ignites Twitter Speculation - The New York Times

From a stark Twitter reality check; for a recent Twitter business model innovation, see Twitter introduces emoji-targeted advertising, eggplant industry rejoices (CNET)

"But if the reasons for a Twitter deal seem so obvious and compelling, why hasn’t it happened yet? The fact is that Twitter faces some unique challenges, and just because it’s a big social media site and prominent Silicon Valley denizen doesn’t mean it’s going to attract a suitor. Yahoo has been openly shopping itself for months, and would-be buyers haven’t exactly been beating down its door.

In April, Twitter reported disappointingly flat user growth and worse-than-expected revenue, and said it was still operating at a substantial loss under generally accepted accounting rules. Investors fled, driving the stock to new lows, and media critics piled on. The Slate technology columnist David Auerbach went so far as to say: “Twitter as we know it is over.”"

Microsoft-LinkedIn Deal Ignites Twitter Speculation - The New York Times