Twitter 101: Tips and Tricks
How do I get on Twitter?
Today, there are more ways to access Twitter than there are characters in the average tweet. Most obviously, the site can be accessed via the Twitter.com Web site, which has a place for you to easily add your updates in a field at the top of a page, as well as a central feed of all the tweets by your friends and followees. There's also a place for you to see who is following you and who you are following, a place to set up a profile, and a bank of settings (where you can set up forwarding to your cell phone, for example, so you can receive the latest tweets from anyone you choose via text message).
In addition to the main site, plenty of Web and desktop apps help recreate the Twitter experience with added features not found on Twitter.com. Tweetree, for example, previews YouTube links and images inside tweets, while Twhirl and Tweetdeck are optimized for photo uploading. Tweetdeck even helps you search and filter by topic within Twitter, which is handy if you follow more than 200 people. Mobile apps such as TwitterFon, Tweetie, and Twitterific let you read and send updates right from your phone with added features that can tell your geographical location (using your phone's built-in GPS) and allow instant image uploading.
There's even an app that integrates with Facebook. The Twitter Facebook application simply mirrors your Twitter updates on Facebook. In other words, update something on Twitter, and it's automatically on your Facebook page as a status update.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
JAYVEE said 3:57PM on 3-26-2009
TWITTER IS A BY PRODUCT OF CELL PHONES........THE LESS SAID THE BETTER.....MEANINGLESS "BLAH"
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Kayla said 4:24PM on 3-26-2009
Twitter seems like a waste of time. It really seems self centered the people using this could be using there time more wisely doing something more usefull in the world, except they are talking about themselves, cause when it comes down to it do you really care? Are u that much of a loser? Facebook is dumb to it seems real desperate for friends and it just looks pathetic I'm 18 and I can figure that out! Thats why I prefer myspace but it seems like they are changing that too which sucks! : ( But at least you can keep in touch with family and friends more and really see whats going on in the world. Even myyearbook is better and that like a booty call but at least they try to give money to real causes such as AIDS, Child Abuse and so on!
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Adam said 5:25PM on 3-26-2009
I wouldn't put it that way. I don't use Twitter but I can definitely see where the adolescent crowd could really get into something like this. It's a good way to keep up with the little things within your circle of friends. I think any type of social networking that takes advantage of the internet is a good thing, especially for younger people. It's sort of a precursor to memo posting and updates that they'll have to use in the workplace someday. In the information age, you have to be on top of your game and be in the know 24/7. Personally, I prefer Myspace over Facebook, but I think Twitter might be onto something here.
Ray Morrone said 6:36PM on 3-26-2009
Making the world a better place? Is there hope?
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WOB said 7:13PM on 3-26-2009
Great ...
Yet another way we can all "communicate" without having to talk to each other. Just what we all needed ... NOT!
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Sarasvatia said 7:25PM on 3-26-2009
I like Twitter. I have friends and family dispersed over much of the Planet and with Twitter I keep in touch with quick bursts of uber short messages that tell me all's well. Or not. Actually, in case of the latter, a sympathetic (wordy) email is the better if much more rare option.
I have no interest in sending mindless Tweets to the world at large. I keep my small circle small and on Direct Reply.
I also prefer Twitter to IM. The former doesn't quite lend itself to drawn out, monosylabic (almost) chats.
Just like with anything else, Twitter is exactly what you make it to be. Oh, and I absolutely hate texting. So there! To each his/her own.
What I do miss, tho, is an app that will announce arrival of a tweet. Kind of like email/IM or a bouncing icon on the Apple dock.
Oh, and my circle is much older than you'd think: our school memories are almost fun to recount.
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hrtecman said 9:32PM on 4-17-2009
Please who has this much time to waste. Life is short so whan you are done Twittering yourself have someone change your bed pan!
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Gretchen276 said 11:54AM on 4-27-2009
Hello all- new to this game but as always willing to try almost anything at least once.
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tcrab62 said 5:44PM on 11-22-2009
tweet,tweet,tweet,is anybody there?
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