Another "What is Twitter?" Post

A year ago, if you mentioned "Twitter" to most non-developers, people would look at you like you had lobsters coming out of your ears. Today, it's a mainstream buzzword and used by the likes of CNN and the "TODAY" show. It has become a major tool in the toolbox of social/viral media. Many consider it a waste of time. But, if it's used right, can be a invaluable resource for information and networking. So what is Twitter, really?

Twitter is a method of "micro-blogging" small bits of information. This can be something about yourself, an observation, link, etc. In 140 characters or less, you can share with the world. While you can't say anything lengthy, you can profoundly get your point across if you know the correct syntax.

Twitter spreads news FAST. The other day, there was a large 7.9 earthquake in the pacific. No news outlets were reporting it but Twitter was lit up with tweets. A CNN Breaking News tweet came through to me. News dissemination--as it happened. That is amazing.

Twitter keeps you connected. Keep in constant touch with the people you choose. This is great for finding out information without having to send an email, IM, etc. Some might find this annoying, however, as some people tend to go a little "Twitter crazy" with almost constant tweets. Don't forget you can "leave" a user you're following if they're just giving you too much information and you can't take it anymore.

Here are some tips for better Twittering (which are by no means anything new or that hasn't been blogged about a million times, just my own personal observations for what they're worth):

• Twitter is not a chat client. It wasn't meant for huge banter--it's a method of posting a quick thought, statement, or declaration. For meaningful conversations of more than 140 characters, use a chat client like AIM, iChat, Google Talk, or Adium.
• Get some decent Twitter tools. You won't like using the website forever, and there are a million really great apps out there for mobile and desktops. While I use Twitterberry for my Blackberry Storm, I know there are a lot of iPhone apps out there. My personal favorite for the desktop is Twhirl, an Adobe AIR app which I highly recommend.
• Say something meaningful once in a while. While you don't always have to proclaim your personal cure for cancer, don't just tweet what you ate for breakfast, either. Give your followers something meaningful to chew on. The more interesting the tweet, the more likely it will spur a conversation or retweets.
• ALWAYS review your tweets before hitting send. I made the mistake lately of typing "unfollow user" only to learn that the command is now actually "leave user" (I swear it changed at some point). The whole world quickly found out who I didn't like following and I suddenly felt like a complete idiot.
• Know your slang. If you don't know what people are talking about, Twitter is not going to mean much to you. Know what hashtags are (#hashtag), and understand abbreviations like RT (retweet), OH (overheard), etc. There are several Twitter dictionary sites. twittonary.com is just one.
• NEVER say anything you wouldn't want the entire world to see. Twitter can be dangerous. People are constantly fired from jobs for posting a status specific to their jobs on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Just recently, a Cisco employee was canned for posting a negative comment about his employer. So, be very careful what you say and when you say it. As a general rule, it's best to not mention anything about your job (positive or negative), and be very careful what you say about others as it might just come back to haunt you. Even when you delete something after posting it's possible someone has already seen it and captured it somehow (think screen captures). In the world of the Internet (and especially Twitter), deleted never really means deleted.

Whatever you do, have fun with it. If using Twitter becomes too much of a chore (or an addiction), walk away from it. If it's not something useful/entertaining, you won't find much value in it. But, if you know how to utilize it correctly, it can open up a whole new world. Just be careful as this new world also brings danger--know what you're doing before you jump in.