LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:  Tweeting isn’t just for the birds anymore

You probably have heard about Twitter but, if you’re like most people, you have no clue what it really is.  Even people that use the service don’t always fully understand how to use it to its full potential.

First, let’s explore what Twitter is.  And that requires a discussion about blogging.

What is Blogging?

In its most basic form, blogging is just a method to place a variety of items on the web.  It differs from a normal web page in the procedure it uses to accomplish this.  A traditional web page is static — it is created to look a certain way, with certain items and information, and it requires a web designer to make the desired changes.

A blog, short for web log or weblog, uses a special software platform to create the web page and allows new information to be added very easily.  The author is able to enter a password-protected section of the site and simply enter new posts by typing into the proper text fields.  The changes are published immediately to the blog when the author saves his or her work.

There are basically two types of blogs.  One is the modern form of a journal or diary — only, instead of being locked up under the bed, it’s out there for the whole world to see.  You can use a blog to record your mood, your thoughts or feelings, or to share news about your family.  Many people use personal blogs as a way to record major and minor events in their lives.  You can share video, photos, audio, or just text on the web very easily with a blog.

The other type of blog uses those same types of media to share information or news about a particular topic.  It’s very popular for political or civic organizations, for example, to use a blog to announce events, post opinion articles, or share information about meetings.  These items can be shared with an audience of any size instantaneously without relying on emails, phone calls, or print methods.

Both blog styles allow the audience to choose when they get the information by visiting the web site or subscribing to new updates via a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.  This feed can be “caught” and used in a wide variety of ways, but most people choose an RSS reader of some sort.  Most modern email client applications have built-in RSS readers.  I like to use a separate web-based application called Google Reader which allows me to view my RSS feeds and get them on any computer or cell phone with an Internet connection.

Micro-Blogging

Now that you understand what a blog is, the best way to explain Twitter is by using the term “micro-blogging”.  Instead of essays about a certain topic or even just a few paragraphs of your thoughts, like most blogs, micro-blogging is the act of publishing a very small post in 140 characters (including spaces and punctuation) or less.  “Printing the final draft of my history report” is a typical post to Twitter, known as a “tweet”.

Most newbies to the concept say at this point, “Why do I need to tell everyone what I’m doing every moment of the day?  Why would they even care?”

Think about a typical phone conversation you have with a friend.  What is the first thing you ask each other?  “What are you doing?”  That’s because you want to connect with people and a great way to do that, to start that conversation, is by asking what they’re doing.  Twitter accomplishes this before the question is even asked.

You can tell anyone and everyone who is interested exactly what you’re doing at any moment.  Now, you wouldn’t call or email everybody you know that you’re at the zoo or eating some ice cream, but posting a tweet about it let’s people decide when they want that info.  It has been jokingly suggested that Twitter is “reverse stalking”.

Often people feel as though technology is used too much as a substitute for real human interaction.  I’m not suggesting distancing yourself from your family and friends at all; in fact, quite the opposite.  Tell your Followers (that’s what Twitter calls people who subscribe to your updates) what you think of the President’s speech, express joy about your new job, or even share a photo of your child’s first missing tooth.  Or use the very simple “d” command to directly message someone via Twitter — the message will be private, between you and the recipient only.  People can get to know each other better without the interruptions that come with more direct forms of communication.

Great uses of Twitter

One way that I personally use Twitter is to share links to interesting things I find on the web — news stories, web site links, funny videos or interesting photographs, for example.  Remember my earlier mention of Google Reader?  I use a little trick so that I simply hit “Share” on a Google Reader story and it automatically posts to my Twitter account.  My followers can choose to read my tweets when it’s convenient for them.  If they want to and have time, they can then follow those links.  If not, there’s no email or voicemail to delete; they just ignore the post.

News organizations and individuals alike can convey information quickly to a large number of people using Twitter.  When the passenger jet crash landed in the Hudson River in New York City recently, the news broke on Twitter.  An individual took a photo from his cell phone and posted it immediately on the service.  Storm warnings are now being transmitted through Twitter as well as user-submitted descriptions and photos of weather events.

Where there’s a huge group of people — Twitter has an estimated 7 million users — there’s a huge group of businesses advertising their wares.  And, to be honest, Twitter is a great method of this type of communication.  Advertisers are able to announce new products or services for sale, offer coupons, and announce giveaways to only those that actually want that kind of information.  You can’t be “spammed” as you can with email because you choose who you are following.  Don’t like what that company is tweeting?  Simply un-follow them!

Twitter yourself

Getting started is easy.  Just go to twitter.com using your normal web browser.  Sign up for a free account and start posting.  Visiting twitter.com when you’re logged into your account will yield a list of tweets, the newest ones on top, from all of the people that you follow.  Twitter allows you to find people easily by typing in their names and clicking on Follow.  You can also give out the URL for your personal Twitter page — twitter.com/yourusername is the format –  so people can see what you post before choosing to follow you.

You can use a variety of services and applications to access tweets as well.  Twhirl, TweetDeck, Twitterific, Twitterfon, Tweetie, TwitterBerry, Twinkle and Twitterfox are just some of the popular Twitter applications available for your PC, Mac, or cell phone.  You can also use the SMS text messaging feature on your mobile phone to interact with Twitter.  (That’s why the 140-character limit exists, by the way.  Cellular providers limit text messages to 160 characters.)

As you can see Twitter is a versatile communication platform that has many different uses.  Keep in touch with friends, obtain the latest news headlines or sports scores, find out about new products or services, or get some juicy gossip about your favorite celebrity whenever you want, where ever you are, with Twitter.

And while you’re at it, follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/BigDaddyK!