Twitter acquired the blogging platform Posterous in 2012. Posterous had been founded in 2008 and became known for making it easy to publish text, photos, links, and other media with minimal setup.
The acquisition fit Twitter’s broader interest in improving publishing and media tools. Posterous had a simple, flexible approach to blogging, while Twitter was still primarily associated with short status updates. Twitter said the Posterous team and technology could contribute to products that helped people share content, though Posterous continued operating for a period after the deal.
Posterous was later shut down in 2013, giving users time to export their posts before the service disappeared. Its closure is sometimes confused with the acquisition date, but these were separate events: Twitter bought Posterous in 2012 and closed it the following year. The acquisition is also often remembered alongside Twitter’s other early-2010s deals, including the purchase of social analytics company BackType in 2011. Posterous co-founder Garry Tan later became known for his work in venture capital and startup investing.