What is Twitter?
Twitter is a social networking site that allows short messages/thought around 140 characters to be posted on to the internet in a form of a blog. It allows interaction with people in Australia as well as the world in a click of a button.
A brief video on how twitter works was produced by Common Craft and it is a simple, easy way to understand how Twitter works http://www.commoncraft.com/twitter.
I don't really see the benefit...can you give an example?
Instead of having to go onto each website in the morning or opening up the newspaper and reading 50 pages before you find something interesting, Twitter is designed so you can receive information from particular groups, organisations and individual people as it happens.
Twitter uses short messages with the ability to add a link into the message forwarding you onto a website or destination that gives you greater knowledge about the particular text.
Look as the following examples of NSW Government Twitter blogs for examples of alerting the public with any updates or information that has changed with a link to their website for the extended version.
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Safe Work Awards winners announced at the black tie dinner Wed 28 October 2009. Book your tickets now http://bit.ly/3OeTJt |
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Newcastle & Central Coast Line - Delays of 10-20 minutes http://is.gd/3OpJ |
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It's About You!! Now see the video... http://tinyurl.com/ydbfurv |
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First Deaf Person - Dr. Ádám Kósa - to use sign language in the European Parliament: http://tinyurl.com/lebvbh |
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MORE DUST STORMS. Health advice http://bit.ly/XdY4L |
topWhy would I use Twitter instead of email updates?
Twitter is a very simple and easy way to receive information; one website that feeds all information and updates but allowing for conversation without you having to find it. Just log onto the website and read. Unlimited amount of space and you can always stop ‘following’ a particular profile when you don’t want to receive information from them anymore by a click of the mouse. This can be easier to use than email updates.
What do I look for on a web site to find a Twitter feed?
Many websites give you the opportunity to ‘follow’ them on Twitter. Usually on the main page of a website or in the ‘contact us’ section there will be an icon similar to these;
These icons indicate that the website has a twitter account to follow.
Sounds useful...how can I get started?
If you haven’t signed up yet, go to www.twitter.com and click ‘sign up now’. The registration form takes about 5 minutes.
Once you have done that, there is a link to ‘find’ people on twitter that you would be interested in seeing their posts and also just to find your friends. This is a great way to have a look at who is on twitter and you might come across people you weren’t looking for but would be interested in seeing their posts.
What else can I use Twitter for?
This social networking site is great to keep in touch with old friends or colleagues and even find people you may of lost contact with.
So Twitter serves many purposes:
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Receiving information about a particular organisation.
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Finding old friends.
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Keeping in contact with your friends.
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Receiving information about upcoming events.
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Seeing what the world is talking about and joining in conversion.