[real-eyes] Re: Twitter 101
- From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:33:51 -0500
I also just opened a Twitter account. Now I have no idea what to do with
it.
----- Original Message -----
From: "V Nork" <ginisd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:44 PM
Subject: [real-eyes] Twitter 101
> Hi, Just Passing along what I thought was an instructive and fun to read
> article, as kind of a departure for me since I usually try for briefer
> posts. Just opened my first Twitter account, have lots to learn, Best,
> Ginnie
>
> Ashton Kutcher trashes his neighbor's chickens. U.S. Rep. John Culberson
> trashes
> President Barack Obama's address to Congress. Brea Grant, one of the stars
> of "Heroes,"
> doesn't trash anyone, but is looking for a new veggie restaurant in
> Southern California.
> In the last few months, Twitter has become "the new hotness" in technology
> and culture.
> Celebrities are pushing geeks to the side as the most popular names on the
> network,
> and there has been the rush of media coverage. Network news shows use it
> to communicate
> with viewers, and news organizations, including mySA.com, send out
> breaking news
> alerts via Twitter.
> And yet, many of you probably have no idea what it is. Twitter is very
> simple, and
> that simplicity makes it hard to explain since it lacks formality.
> Q.What is Twitter?
> A.Twitter is a free social network.
> Q.What is a social network?
> A.That's a Web site or Web service that allows people to digitally contact
> and stay
> in touch with friends or with a wider community that's also on the
> network. Users
> chat, send each other messages and share information, such as pictures,
> music and
> videos.
> Q.How is Twitter different?
> A.Most Twitter contact consists of text messages that can be viewed by
> anyone with
> access to a cell phone or computer. Users can limit who sees their
> messages and whose
> messages they receive. Though there is a centralized Web site to send and
> view messages,
> many users don't need it, preferring to do all of their Twitter
> communication on
> their phone.
> Q.Why is Twitter so popular?
> A.Twitter appears to be the flavor of the month among tech hipsters. The
> value of
> Twitter, it seems, is that all messages are short bursts and there are
> plenty of
> them. Because of size limits, Twitter has spawned a stylized way of
> writing that's
> active, to the point and mixes its own acronyms with those borrowed from
> traditional
> instant messenger lingo. And because it only has 3 million users, Twitter
> is like
> a well-kept secret among the Tweeps, which is the term coined to describe
> "Twitter
> people."
> Q.What is a tweet?
> A.A tweet is the term coined to describe a Twitter message. Because
> Twitter uses
> a cell phone's text messaging system, all tweets run 140 characters
> (spaces included)
> or fewer.
> Q.How do you tweet?
> A.Tweets can be sent from a computer, though the emphasis is on mobile
> communication,
> usually sent from a cell phone or a smart phone such as an iPhone. If
> you're good
> at text messaging, you'll be good at tweeting. If you prefer the long form
> of an
> e-mail, tweeting will be a dicey skill to master.
> Q.Will tweets take over my phone?
> A.It's possible. If you worry about being inundated with tweets and
> running up a
> huge text messaging bill, Twitter allows you to control how you receive
> tweets, so
> that only certain messages from certain people make it to your phone. Or
> none of
> them. Or all of them. Messages you send and receive are always available,
> in your
> account, on the Twitter home page on your computer.
> Q.What happens to my tweet after I hit "send?"
> A.All tweets go to the Twitter phone number: 40404. Each tweet is
> swallowed up by
> the Twitter server and then thrown into the rapidly moving stream of
> tweets from
> around the world.
> Q.Can I respond to specific tweets?
> A.Yes. Tag that message with the user's name and the "@" sign, such as
> @roybragg,
> @johnmccain, @rainnwilson to respond to a specific person.
> Q.Can I send private messages?
> A.Certain tweets, called direct messages, can be sent privately to another
> individual
> from cell phone or computer. On smart phones, which have Web data plans,
> direct message
> tweets are sometimes cheaper than a per-message price.
> Q.What makes a good tweet?
> A.Hard to say. While the lingo is unique, the content isn't. There's no
> structure
> to Twitter topics. Users are given one charge by Twitter - "What are you
> doing?"
> Q."What are you doing"?
> A.Messages can run the gamut, from personal tirades and self-promotion to
> pithy observations,
> news flashes and hints. A glance at the Twitter public timeline - all
> tweets from
> everyone, appearing as they are sent in real time - shows a universe where
> the comments
> are as random as eavesdropping on conversations at the airport. One tweet
> is about
> comics books. The next is about politics. The next is about lunch. The
> next is a
> tech tip. Then someone responds to the political tweet, sparking another
> response,
> and so on.
> Q.What can I do to avoid being overwhelmed by tweets?
> A.One of the best things about Twitter can be one of the most frustrating
> and one
> of the most frightening, to wit: the tsunami of information coming at you
> at all
> times from all around the world. To hone Twitter into what you need it to
> be, the
> system allows you to pick your friends and have others pick you to be
> their friend.
> "Followers" are people who receive your tweets. The people whose tweets
> your want
> to read are called your "following." In many instances, following is a
> mutual thing
> - you and your friends all follow each other, sharing messages as if you
> were sitting
> around a table. You can block anyone from reading your tweets, or you can
> stop following
> anyone at any time.
> Q.How do I find or send tweets about certain topics?
> A.Search for specific topics at search.twitter.com and you can see who
> tweeted it
> and when. Another technique involves searching for a short code term,
> called a hashtag,
> that is sometimes added to the text of a messages being sent out. A
> hashtag is the
> name of the topic, preceded by the "#" symbol. Examples of hashtags
> include #spurs,
> #cowboys, #???. Each of those would refer to tweets on those topics.
> Q.Why are hashtags useful?
> A.Using hashtags, Web sites dedicated to those topics can collect all of
> the tweets
> for ease of reading. One of the most popular hashtags is #tcot, which
> stands for
> Top Conservatives on Twitter (topconservativesontwitter.org), which
> includes tweets
> from conservatives all around the country sharing thoughts, opinions and
> debating
> topics.
> Q.What's the best way to use Twitter?
> A.There are several options:
> * On a plain-Jane cell phone, text messaging is the only choice. The
> Twitter home
> page works on a computer, but it's not designed well. There are
> stand-alone applications
> that augment Twitter functionality and add features that aren't on the
> home page.
> * On a PC, Tweetdeck allows you to see multiple windows at once. Twhirl
> lets you
> run multiple Twitter accounts at once.
> * On the Web, Hahlo and Twitterfall are Web sites built to deliver tweets
> in real
> time, streaming fashion via a browser.
> * On a Blackberry, Twitterberry is the most popular choice.
> * On an iPhone, Tweetie and Twitterrific are the most popular choices.
> Q.What else can you do with Twitter?
> A.There are hundreds of programs and special Twitter usernames designed
> for specific
> purposes. Some will share your music with friends, such as TwittyTunes or
> Blip.fm.
> Programs such as Tweet What You Eat will help you diet. Others will help
> with personal
> finance, send out reminders, maintain your calendar, act as a timer, share
> pictures,
> map where your friends are, track sugar intake, etc. You can combine
> Twitter feeds
> with other social programs, such as Facebook, MySpace, Digsby, etc., so
> one update
> will serve all services.
> Q.What are some tricks of the tweet?
> A.Best tips for sending:
> * Web addresses: Twitter has rejuvenated the art of the "URL shortener."
> These are
> Web sites, such as bit.ly and tinyurl.com, which take long Web addresses
> and shorten
> them by up to 80 percent. budURL.com is the new kid on the block, created
> by an Austin
> company that allows Web site owners to track the shortened URLs.
> * Video/pictures: The most popular site is TwitPic, which allows you to
> upload camera
> photos and a tweet that includes a link to the online picture.
> * Location: The social network BrightKite will forward messages, as well
> as your
> GPS location, to the Twitter network.
> * Online video: Using sites such as Twiddeo or 12Seconds allow you to send
> links
> to online videos.
> Q.What are the basics of Twitter etiquette?
> A.As with the rest of the online world, don't type in ALL CAPS - it's
> considered
> e-screaming and is considered to be obnoxious. Other tips:
> * When you share someone else's tweet, it's a "re-tweet" and should be
> prefaced like
> this: RT @(name of original sender) followed by the contents of the
> original tweet.
> * Abbreviating is allowed.
> * Don't send multipart messages in consecutive tweets unless it's
> absolutely necessary
> * It's OK to promote your blog, but make sure you offer other tweets
> through the
> day
> * Don't carry on personal conversations in the public timeline. (This is
> Twitter
> version of the "Hey! Get a Chat Room, you two!" rule of message boards.)
> * Make every tweet interesting, compelling or informative to someone who
> isn't you.
> Don't waste everyone's time with a tweet such as "I'm having a bologna
> sandwich."
> A better tweet would be: "This bologna sandwich tastes like steak ... if
> steak were
> a heavily processed meat by-product."
> * Don't tweet when you're drunk or angry.
> * There's no need to correct obvious mistakes, such as innocent typos.
> * If it's a big mistake, however, send out a corrected version. And next
> time you're
> on a computer, delete the original.
> * Twitter is not a substitute for face-to-face conversation. That means
> Twitter isn't
> for breaking up nor is it for booty calls.
> Q.Will I like tweeting?
> A.That depends on what you want to do. If you want to read a lot and tweet
> rarely,
> that's OK. If you want to seek like-minded people, it's great. If you want
> to vent,
> that's OK if you do so with panache. But it may not be your cup of tea. If
> it isn't,
> just stop.
>
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>
>
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