The simplest explanation of Twitter you will ever read
Can you explain Twitter in simple terms?
Twitter is a website that allow users to write messages of 140 characters or less(known as Tweets). These messages can be read by Twitter users who are following the author.
What does follow mean?
When you join Twitter you choose people to follow. You can find people using the search tool or you can search for them in your mail. When you find a users profile you can click on the follow button and from then on messages from this user will appear in your feed.
What is my feed?
This is all sequential list of all the messages from people you follow. When you log onto Twitter this is your default view.
How does Twitter differ from e-mail?
When you write an e-mail you decide who is going to receive it. When you write a Tweet other people decide if they wish to receive it. They do this by deciding to follow you.
How does Twitter differ from the FaceBook
In Twitter people decide if they wish to follow you without you having to confirm them as a follower. In FaceBook if people wish to receive your updates you have to confirm them as a friend. Also as Twitter only has text(you cannot add photos or videos for example) it is easier to read a lot of updates together whereas having a hundred or more updates per day on your FaceBook would not be practical.
How do I find people to follow?
If you know the name of the person you wish to follow you can search using the ‘Find People’ tool within Twitter. Also on many websites the have a button saying something like ‘Follow us on Twitter’. Clicking on this link will allow you to follow this person.
Can I stop/block people from following me?
Yes. Like FaceBook, Twitter is configurable and you can block specific users or set your account so only your friends can see your messages.
What else can I do in Twitter?
You can send any of your followers a private message only they can see. You can also reply to a tweet from another user. If you do this your reply will be displayed as part of your feed and is visible to everyone.
How do I know if a users messages will interest me?
You can search for any user and click on their profile to see all their current tweets. You can then judge for yourself if you would like to receive their tweets.
How can I get the most out of Twitter?
If you follow areas of interest to you e.g. celebrities, movie sites, news sites etc. you can get the latest updates as they happen. If you follow your friends you can see what they are up to date on a regular basis. If you have your own business Twitter is a good way of letting your customers know what is currently happening.
Can you suggest some good people to follow?
The following are very popular on Twitter
and of course..
The Computer Coach
What else can I use Twitter for?
Twitter is also a great way of seeing the general reaction to a current topic. For example Derren Brown’s weekly show gets hundreds of tweets when he performs the current trick. You can use search.twitter.com to search a topic and this will show you what everyone is saying. You do not have to be a follower of people to read these tweets.
It sounds so simple. Why is there so much hype about it?
It is the best place to see an instant reaction of a large number of people to any current event. Sometimes news items break on twitter before the news media. Also many celebrities can use Twitter to easily communicate with all their fans in a way that is only possible very recently.
Yet another reason for the hype is that Oprah set up a Twitter account on her show and this brought Twitter to a lot of people who may not have been aware of Twitter previously.
What do I need to get started on Twitter?
You need a valid email address. Then go to www.Twitter.com and click on the ‘Sign Up Now’ button and follow the On Screen instructions. You will be up and running on Twitter in a matter of seconds.
Have you any tips for starting out on Twitter?
Do not follow too many people at the start. Follow a few people of interest and add more as you get used to Twitter. If you find that some friends(i.e. Twitter speak for people you follow) are tweeting too much then you can easily unfollow them.
Search.Twitter.com is a good place to search for people or topics.
