Why Twitter?
Admittedly, it wasn’t until recently I discovered the power behind Twitter. My account with Twitter was first opened in 2007 yet remained void of Tweets (status updates) until late 2008. During that span of time, I simply didn’t know what I would do, or what I was supposed to do with it. I figured, if I wanted people to know what I was up to, then it would be limited to friends through status updates on Facebook.
After a brief unemployment stint, I realized it was time to become more informed in Web 2.0 applications. The buzz of Twitter was growing, I dug up my password and logged in for the first time in a year. The following are my discoveries.
1. Twitter links you with people sharing common interests.
Many of my friends from Facebook and MySpace are not using Twitter as of this writing. People I follow on Twitter are generally a mixture of people living in a shared geographical region, folks who share similar career paths, or some for plain entertainment (www.twitter.com/darthvader). No matter who I’m following, it is likely someone who has an update I might find interesting. Usually by following links of interest, pictures from an event or concert, or news updates.
2. An infinite source of knowledge
Looking for something? Your followers on Twitter are a priceless resource. Post a question and someone will return to you with a link or an answer relatively quickly. Whether you are wondering which book you should read next, what movie people recommend.. etc. Priceless.
3. MicroBlogging at its best
Maintaining a blog can be a demanding task. Many times, they become neglected since they can be rather time consuming. Creating, developing and reviewing content can grow to become tedious. Twitter limits you to 140 characters. You have to be brief. No time is wasted in creating and reviewing posts to your blog. If you have a blog, Twitter can direct a much larger audience to your posts.
Tips for those new to Twitter
Manage Tweets with Tweetdeck
Undoubtedly, through time you will end up with hundreds if not thousands of followers. How do you manage to stay on top of all those Tweeple? Tweetdeck is a nifty application. Updates come streaming in the background and you can organize groups to easily keep up-to-date with your favorite Tweets.
Upload pictures with TwitPic
Twitpicis an online service where you can upload photos and link to them on Twitter. Should you decide to Tweet via mobile phone, this becomes a very handy tool. When looking at mobile Twitter clients, look for this add-on. If not, you can still email pictures to TwitPic to be posted to Twitter.
Finding People
A good way to find people on Twitter is by searching by keyword on search.twitter.com. Alternatively, search around those blogs or websites you browse to often. Some Twitter users will link to their Twitter profile for you to easily follow. It is especially courteous to follow people who are following you, provided they aren’t spam accounts.
What does RT mean?
RT stands for “ReTweet”. This is basically a reposting of what someone has posted on twitter. Retweets are followed by the @username of the originating source. Example: RT @darthvader: The bad news is we had to let go of about 8,000 clone troopers today. The good news is it really only counts as 1.
More Shortcuts
You can keep your conversations private through Direct Messages. Simply begin your tweet with:
D username enter your personal message
Reply to someone using the following:
@username type your reply
Tweetdeck becomes a big help with replies and direct messages. You don’t want to miss your replies!
The possibilities with Twitter are limitless. Enjoy!
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:39 pm
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