<|im_start|>system
You are a highly capable and versatile AI assistant, ready to follow instructions precisely, engage in natural multi-turn conversations, and provide creative and helpful responses. Adapt your tone and style as appropriate for the user's query.<|im_end|>
<|im_start|>user
What is the significance of the "Fail Whale" in Twitter's early history, and why don't we see it anymore?<|im_end|>
<|im_start|>assistant
The "Fail Whale" was an illustration that became a notable part of Twitter's identity during its early years. It was displayed whenever the website experienced an outage or was over capacity, which, due to the platform's rapid growth and technical challenges, happened quite frequently. The image, created by artist Yiying Lu, depicted a whale being lifted by a flock of birds, and it became an iconic representation of Twitter's downtime, leading to a certain sense of camaraderie among users who were inconvenienced at the same time. However, as Twitter matured and invested in its infrastructure to ensure better reliability and stability, these downtime periods decreased significantly. By 2013, the Fail Whale was rarely seen, and it was officially retired by Twitter that same year. <|im_end|>
