Twitter

Twitter is an online microblogging service. Microblogging is similar to using Facebook's status updates--you tell the world what you're doing, one sentence at a time. Many individuals use Twitter to tell their friends what they're doing throughout the day. Famous people use Twitter to broadcast their thoughts to the world. And organizations (such as the BBC, the American Library Association, NPR, and others) use Twitter to keep us updated. Twitter can feel a little bit overstimulating, but it's a good way to get updates about the things you care about throughout the day.

Getting Started

To get started, visit Twitter's web site. Sign up for a free account. The first thing you'll want to do is find friends who are already on Twitter. Go to the Find People link in the upper right corner of the screen, and try the names and/or email addresses of people you know. Request to "follow" them. Soon you'll find that they follow you too, and more and more friends will locate you. To read their updates, just sign on to Twitter. Then tell everyone what you're doing through the "What are you doing?" box at the top. Your followers will receive this update--which is called a "tweet."

Finding News and Information Sources

When you visit the web site of a favorite news source or other group, look for the Twitter logo -- a turquoise, lower-case t. You can also look for small blue birds, or the word "twitter". You will get instructions for following this source. Often you'll find updates not for an entire news source, but for a specialized section. For example, BBC News offers Twitter feeds for Health, Breaking News, and more. You can also just type the name of the organization into the search box in Twitter. Try NPR or MSNBC.

Other Fun Stuff

Try Googling "Twitter" and seeing what you come up with. You might want to start with a list of celebrities' Twitter identities.

You can also click here to find 9 Useful Sites for Finding People to Follow on Twitter


Remember to blog about your experience. Try a web search about Twitter in/for libraries. What is your opinion - is Twitter useful in a library environment?


CHALLENGE

Special Software for Using Twitter
There are a number of programs that make using Twitter even easier.
Twitterfox integrates Twitter into your Firefox browser. Tweetdeck organizes the tweets you write and receive. It can also incorporate Facebook and other social programs.
If you already use one of these sites, or choose to try them out, blog about the experience.

Return to List of Things