What can Twitter do for you? Absolutely nothing. Now, wait…before
you start saying horrible things, let me explain. On its own, Twitter cannot do
anything for you. You have to actually use it. I have had a Twitter account for
years, and never really used it until recently. Twitter did not call me up and
let me know the wonderful things I could do; it sat there waiting for me. A
better question is...What can you do with Twitter? The answer to that question
will take a bit longer, which is why this post is just part one.
One of the ways I have started using Twitter is as a PLN
(Personal Learning Network). Using Tweetdeck,
I am able to keep track of different strands based on their hashtag.
The hashtag (aka number sign, pound sign, octothorp) is used
as a way to organize messages or send messages to a particular group. For
example, if I want to send a message to everyone following the Texas Librarians
group, I will send it to #txlchat.
What about the @ symbol? It is used to send a tweet to an
individual. My username on Twitter is @specialpaw. If you want me to see a
tweet, put my username in the tweet, and Twitter will notify me.
By following particular individuals, I am able to find out
what other professionals are doing, read articles they have found, and check
out websites they find useful without having to do all the searching on my own.
If you are confused, do not worry. Remember, I said I had my
account for a very long time before I started using it. For now, go to Twitter and set up a free account. Play with
it for a few days. Do a few searches. Post a few tweets.
My next post will answer a few more questions such as:
How do I
follow someone on Twitter?
How do I
take part in a TwitterChat?
What about
HootSuite?
Happy
Friday, everyone!
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