Up For Discussion - To Tweet Or Not To Tweet!
It's easy to get started on Twitter
1. Go to www.twitter.com.
2. Follow instructions on how to set up your profile: name, brief biog and photo (give this some thought – a bad or incomplete biography can be a Twitter kiss of death).
3. Type a message – tweet – into the ''What are you doing?’’ box. Tweets are public by default but you can block people and communicate in private if you choose. Anyone can now become a follower if they wish to read your tweets.
4. To find your friends or people of interest, click on Find People. To follow someone, click the button next to their profile. This will change to say “following”. Their tweets then appear on your Twitterstream automatically.
5. Check replies regularly to see any tweets that have been directed at you.
Congratulations! You are now tweeting.
What’s hot on Twitter right now? Once you’re up and running, look at www.twitscoop.com for the latest buzz topics.
How do you make the best of it?
How do you separate noise from genuinely interesting messages, and how do you know who you should be following? Here, we have the 10 best Twitter tools and applications to make life easier.
1. TwitterFox: If you’re a Firefox user, and need an unobtrusive Twitter app to keep you abreast of news but not take up half your computer screen, then TwitterFox is for you. Simple if imperfect.
2. Twitterific: Ideal for Mac and iPhone or iPod touch users, Twitterific works well on mobile devices, and has a small desktop footprint. Built in support for TwitPic is a nice touch.
3. TweetDeck: Powerhouse Twitter app that makes it easy to break feeds into manageable chunks, and even categorise replies. Requires a computer running Adobe Air, but works on both PCs and Macs.
4. Tweetie: Tweetie works really well on the iPhone and iPod touch, enabling users to handle multiple Twitter accounts through one interface, easily follow and unfollow people, and navigate @replies in the form of threaded conversations.
5. Twibble: It’s not just iPhone users who can log in to Twitter on their phones – those who own Java-enabled smartphones, including Nokia, BlackBerry and Sony Ericsson, can get in on the action too. There’s built-in TwitPic support, too, and a desktop version is also available.
6. TwitterBerry: Alternatively, CrackBerry addicts can turn to TwitterBerry, a streamlined, simple application that can be downloaded over the air to your phone. Does the basics well.
7. SocialScope: This software, currently in invitation-only alpha testing, is another app aimed at BlackBerry users, and it offers a few more bells and whistles than TwitterBerry, including the ability to easily access and update your Facebook account, and near real-time notifications of @replies and direct messages.
8. TwitterFon: This client, aimed at iPhone and iPod touch users, boasts a lovely, easy to follow interface, and the ability to search tweets by keyword, location of users, and even hot trends.
9. TwitterFall: Brilliant website, founded by two British students no less, that provides a rolling, visual guides to the latest tweets. You can filter messages by hot search topics or custom terms, as well as view your own timeline. Invaluable for knowing what’s hot and what’s not in the Twitterverse.
10. Mr Tweet: Knowing who to follow on Twitter can be tricky. Thankfully, help is at hand from Mr Tweet. Follow Mr Tweet on Twitter, and he will recommend people you should be following, help you uncover other networks and groups that may be relevant to your needs and interests, and even help you power-up your Twitter performance with some useful usage stats and handy pointers.
