How Tweet it is
At first I didn't like Twitter. I found nothing wrong with using IM so I thought, who needs it? I remember saying that about cell phones too... and email... and Facebook.
For me: I don't like it, I try it, I'm hooked.
If IM is the cocaine of internet communication, then Twitter is surely the crack.
Don't know what Twitter is? Some call it Micro-Blogging, Tumblelog, Thumbcast, Sideblog, and more. Last November, Robert McIntosh did a great post on it. Check out Wikipedia here, or Twitter's Twitter about page, or check out Gaping Void's take.
How do you use it? Let's get started.
A) Go to Twitter.com and get a profile going.
B) Now you have a platform, but you still need an audience for your "Tweets". Look for a friend. (Go ahead and pick me, http://twitter.com/collindouma, the first tweet's free kid). Find the button that says "Follow". Now you're following my Tweets.
C) For more people, return to my Twitter page (http://twitter.com/collindouma) and click on the word "following" (right nav bar, below Stats heading). Recognize anyone? Click "follow" for the ones you know too. They'll receive notification that you've subscribed to their tweets. If they know you, or are interested in you, they may reciprocate. That's how you build an audience. You have to listen to be heard. Strange how that works eh?
You can do the same over and over and over, but there is plenty of time for that. I suggest you stop for now, and start to tweet.
D) Click the Home button, and then start Twittering. Maybe start by saying "Hello", and pressing "update". Remember, you only get 136 characters, be brief.
That's it. Your first Tweet. Try a few more.
E) To target a specific person, try putting an @ sign in front of a name. Use me, I don't mind. Type
@collindouma : Saw your post on the CMA blog about Twitter. Trying it now.
Remember, even though it's addressed to me, it's still a public statement. I'll get a little nudge which lets me know you said it. And you'll know if anyone has said anything directly to you by clicking "Replies" on your home page. It's the tab, just below the update button.
Basically, that's all you need to know.
I'll leave you with one last tip for your new Twittering habit.
You might want to share a website on your Tweet but the URL is very long. Try using this site: http://tinyurl.com. It turns long URLs into short ones that still are clickable. By making the URL nice and short, you can better add a description or comment without maxing out the 136 character limit.
For example, here's a Tweet I sent recently about a YouTube video:
Too funny... David Lynch re: watching movies on iPhone : http://tinyurl.com/2xsk89
Here's another recent Tweet.
Join the new Facebook group "Petition to Get Sean Moffitt On Twitter" Today! http://tinyurl.com/26bnm3
You don't have to use tinyurl.com if the url is short.
hey world, check this out : http://www.radicaltrust.ca
There isn't much more to it. You just have to do it.
Welcome to the world of Micro-Blogging. Good Luck
http://twitter.com/collindouma
