--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To my great surprise, Twitter is not…" description: "\"To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver pod that orbits Earth at supersonic speeds, vacuuming up and then dispersing digital bits of wo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg" --- # To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver… ![“To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver pod that orbits Earth at supersonic speeds, vacuuming up and then dispersing digital bits of worldwide chitchat; it's in a big, bland office building in downtown San Francisco, near a bowling alley and an Old Navy.” quote by Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg) > “To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver pod that orbits Earth at supersonic speeds, vacuuming up and then dispersing digital bits of worldwide chitchat; it's in a big, bland office building in downtown San Francisco, near a bowling alley and an Old Navy.” [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Twitter's physical reality is far less futuristic than imagined, located in a mundane office near everyday amenities. **In simple terms:** Twitter is housed in a regular office, not a space‑age pod. Key Takeaway Expect the ordinary behind the hype. Themes technology reality expectations media urban life Mood curious analytical Type observational descriptive When to use this quote - working in tech - visiting San Francisco - media analysis - urban planning Key Concepts digital culture myth vs reality corporate geography Questions to Reflect On - How does the mundane setting affect your view of tech giants? - What expectations do we have about digital platforms? A Different Perspective The description may exaggerate the contrast for effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alleys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleys/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Bland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bland/) [Bland Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bland-office-5574302/) [Bowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling/) [Bowling Alley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling-alley/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digital/) [Dispersing Digital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dispersing-digital-5574304/) [Downtown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/downtown/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Navy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/navy/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Orbit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orbit/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver/) [Silver Pod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silver-pod-5574303/) [Speed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speed/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Surprise Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise-twitter-5574301/) [Twitter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter/) [Twitter Housed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twitter-housed-5574300/) ## Related quotes > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people throw a bit of their personality after their bad arguments, as if that might straighten their paths and turn them into right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/some-people-throw-a-bit-of-their-personality-after-their-bad/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/usually-one-must-go-to-a-bowling-alley-to-meet-a-woman-of-your-stature/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Nail salons and bowling alleys play the best radio stations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/nail-salons-and-bowling-alleys-play-the-best-radio-stations/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [“It's an old story," Julia says, leaning back in her chair. "Only for me, it's new. I went to school for industrial design. All…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/it-s-an-old-story-julia-says-leaning-back-in-her-chair-only-for-me-it/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-a-family-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-head/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [But my husband came from a small town and hardworking parents like I did, and I don't think we've lost that mind-set. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/but-my-husband-came-from-a-small-town-and-hardworking-parents-like-i/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [You ought to try surviving one of my family reunions. It's like having a bowling alley in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-buchanan/you-ought-to-try-surviving-one-of-my-family-reunions-it-s-like-having/) [Edna Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-buchanan/) > [Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [The struggle you see in the Republican Party today is the country club Republican versus the bowling alley Republican. Colin Powell brings us back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-du-pont/the-struggle-you-see-in-the-republican-party-today-is-the-country/) [Pete du Pont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-du-pont/) > [We've played everywhere since I started The Licks. We've played arenas, clubs, school cafeterias and bowling alleys. It doesn't matter where the venue is;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-lewis/we-ve-played-everywhere-since-i-started-the-licks-we-ve-played-arenas/) [Juliette Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-lewis/) > [“I try to tell the teacher, you know. I don't give a fuck about geometry or English. Like I'm probably going to drive a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-bradfield/i-try-to-tell-the-teacher-you-know-i-don-t-give-a-fuck-about-geometry/) [Scott Bradfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-bradfield/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“There he lay spooked, a spinning wheel in a celestial bowling alley.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-rosoff/there-he-lay-spooked-a-spinning-wheel-in-a-celestial-bowling-alley/) [Meg Rosoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-rosoff/) ## More by Susan Orlean > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Who on earth is going to use 'utilize' in a text message, a whopping seven characters including the always-hard-to-type 'z,' when you can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/who-on-earth-is-going-to-use-utilize-in-a-text-message-a-whopping/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [When my son was born, and after a day of lying-in I was told that I could leave the hospital and take him home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/when-my-son-was-born-and-after-a-day-of-lying-in-i-was-told-that-i/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm happy to be reminded that an ordinary day full of nothing but nothingness can make you feel like you've won the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-happy-to-be-reminded-that-an-ordinary-day-full-of-nothing-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I once had a boyfriend who couldn't write unless he was wearing a necktie and a dress shirt, which I thought was really weird,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-once-had-a-boyfriend-who-couldn-t-write-unless-he-was-wearing-a/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [“I, too, had set out to be remembered. I had wanted to create something permanent in my life- some proof that everything in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-too-had-set-out-to-be-remembered-i-had-wanted-to-create-something/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I think of myself as something of a connoisseur of procrastination, creative and dogged in my approach to not getting things done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-think-of-myself-as-something-of-a-connoisseur-of-procrastination/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm very excited about my new Spotify account, which gives me access to twenty gazillion songs any time, all the time. The day I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-very-excited-about-my-new-spotify-account-which-gives-me-access/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I approach stories as a private educational enterprise: I want to learn about something. I teach myself through research, reporting, and thinking, and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-approach-stories-as-a-private-educational-enterprise-i-want-to/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [We're fascinated by animals because it's almost like having Martians living among us. We can see some familiarity in them, but they're entirely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/we-re-fascinated-by-animals-because-it-s-almost-like-having-martians/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My inspiration is really very simple: I'm struck by things that I want to know more about. I really do react just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-inspiration-is-really-very-simple-i-m-struck-by-things-that-i-want/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I am dismayed to realize that much of the advice I used to parcel out to aspiring writers has passed its sell-by date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-am-dismayed-to-realize-that-much-of-the-advice-i-used-to-parcel-out/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I wish I had coined the phrase 'tyranny of choice,' but someone beat me to it. The counterintuitive truth is that have an abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-wish-i-had-coined-the-phrase-tyranny-of-choice-but-someone-beat-me/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays. I worked at it. Whenever I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-ace-in-the-hole-as-a-human-being-used-to-be-my-capacity-for/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Sometimes I think I've figured out some order in the universe, but then I find myself in Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/sometimes-i-think-i-ve-figured-out-some-order-in-the-universe-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) [Explore all 179 Susan Orlean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## More Alleys quotes > [Dashiell Hammett took murder out of theVenetian vase and dropped it into the alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/dashiell-hammett-took-murder-out-of-thevenetian-vase-and-dropped-it/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [She glances back before stepping into the alley, and she catches her grandfather looking at her the way he does sometimes--as if she's already…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianna-baggott/she-glances-back-before-stepping-into-the-alley-and-she-catches-her/) [Julianna Baggott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianna-baggott/) > [Victim disarmament types are sick, sick people, who'd rather see a woman raped in an alley and strangled with her own pantyhose than see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/victim-disarmament-types-are-sick-sick-people-who-d-rather-see-a/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If Elmore Leonard met Jim Thompson down a dark alley at midnight they might emerge a week later with thick beards, bloodshot eyes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eoin-colfer/if-elmore-leonard-met-jim-thompson-down-a-dark-alley-at-midnight-they/) [Eoin Colfer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eoin-colfer/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [...wings—-vast shimmering wings, their reach so great they swept the walls on either side of the alley, each feather like the wind-tugged lick of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/wings-vast-shimmering-wings-their-reach-so-great-they-swept-the-walls/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [ Singing, dancing, and acting! The part \[of Roxie in Let It Shine\] was right up my alley. Plus, the thought of playing a rock… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coco-jones/singing-dancing-and-acting-the-part-of-roxie-in-let-it-shine-was/) [Coco Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coco-jones/) > [The trees grew too thickly, and their trunks were too big for any healthy New England wood. There was too much silence in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/the-trees-grew-too-thickly-and-their-trunks-were-too-big-for-any/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [You start out with the sublime and you end up in an alley jerking away for dear life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/you-start-out-with-the-sublime-and-you-end-up-in-an-alley-jerking/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a shufti to see if it's solid, aren't we,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-come-face-to-face-with-one-down-a-dark-alley-we-re-going-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The costume designer, her name is Anne Hardinge. She's done "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz." She's really comedic costume designer, which was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerusha-hess/the-costume-designer-her-name-is-anne-hardinge-she-s-done-shaun-of/) [Jerusha Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerusha-hess/) > [I wish I could close my eyes and be blown into dust and nothingness, feel all my thoughts disperse like dandelion fluff drifting off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-oliver/i-wish-i-could-close-my-eyes-and-be-blown-into-dust-and-nothingness-2/) [Lauren Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-oliver/) > [One hurries through, even though there's time; the past, the continent, is behind; the future is the glowing mouth in the side of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/one-hurries-through-even-though-there-s-time-the-past-the-continent/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I feel like now if you're going to start a band you have to have an Instagram full of yourself looking a certain way,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babatunde-adebimpe/i-feel-like-now-if-you-re-going-to-start-a-band-you-have-to-have-an/) [Babatunde Adebimpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babatunde-adebimpe/) [Browse all 255 Alleys quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alleys/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver pod that orbits Earth at supersonic speeds, vacuuming up and then dispersing digital bits of worldwide chitchat; it's in a big, bland office building in downtown San Francisco, near a bowling alley and an Old Navy.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Orlean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-housed-in-a-silver-pod-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alleys" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-housed-in-a-silver-pod-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c60/susan-orlean-2207_alleys_to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-hous_3137347.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To my great surprise, Twitter is not housed in a silver pod that orbits Earth at supersonic speeds…” — Susan Orlean", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Susan Orlean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To my great surprise, Twitter is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-housed-in-a-silver-pod-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/to-my-great-surprise-twitter-is-not-housed-in-a-silver-pod-that/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```