Twitter or micro-blogging, is really more of a social commons than a full-blown social network like MySpace or Facebook. It pretty much does one thing: allows people to "tweet" what they're up to (or what they're thinking about) in 140 characters or less.
Since we're sticking with the "less is more" aesthetic, I'm just going to give you 5 Twitter tips instead of the 10 I could have stretched this into.
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Say whatever you feel like saying, but remember that whatever you write could exist in the digital universe forever. Proceed with extreme caution.
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If you like something they say, reply by clicking the little grey arrow that appears when you hover over one of their tweets. You can also simply type in @username (replacing "username" with whatever their username happens to be on Twitter). This is the formal way to address someone on Twitter.
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Twitter has something called an API (Application Programming Interface), which allows programmers to create experiences around Twitter for the community. Because of this, there have been an amazing array of applications released that will allow you to manage your Twitter account easily. There's Twitterrific, TweetDeck, and Twhirl -- just to name a few.
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If you're looking for new friends, a quick search for some of your favorite things on search.twitter.com will quickly reveal who you should be friending on Twitter. Maybe they'll follow you back?
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Keep your eye out for these things. They're meetups for people on Twitter, and there's likely one happening regularly in your neck of the woods. I've taken to hosting one monthly in the Seattle area, as a matter of fact. Meet Twitter people -- tweeps, tweeple -- in meatspace!
Do you have any Twitter tips to pass along? You could even share the link to this article on Twitter and it might become the most popular story today!
A.Find Friends Fast |
B.Meet Twitter Users |
C.Forward the Twitter |
D.Be Yourself, but Beware |
E. Use Twitter from Your Desktop
F. Don't Be Afraid to Interact with Others