I've Become a Twit

While I'm sure my husband would say he already knew this, I've officially become a "twit". In the last couple weeks, I've gotten a real education of Twitter, the popular microblogging tool that is taking the Internet by storm. So much so that the site is having real capacity issues these days, shutting down when too much "tweeting" is going on.

I never fully understood the power of Twitter until I wisened up and started using the Firefox browser instead of Internet Explorer (that's fodder for another post, quite a difference there) with the TwitterFox add on. This allows you to, at the bottom of your browser, see a constant update of all the "twitterers" you follow and their "tweets". It turns what, for me, amounted to every couple days going to the Twitter site and typing in something boring about what I was up to, into a real conversation.

I started following everyone who twitters here in Charleston, S.C. (100 or so) and am really getting to know some of the regulars. I've also added some reporters that I'm interested in, some news sites (CNN sends news alerts via Twitter, the National Weather Service sends weather alerts, etc.) Twitter lets you reply to someone in such a way so that it is directed at them, but that everyone who follows you still sees. You can also direct message someone, which only they can see. But it's all still limited to 140 characters.

I must say, I'm starting to get into the lingo (which you may have noticed my attempt to look cool by using above) and learn all the commands that give it greater functionality. There are also a host of applications out there like Twitpic, which lets you share photos on Twitter, and TwitterVision, which maps your location.

AND, I participated in the very first "twebinar" last week. What's that, you ask? Well, it's a Webinar, but you "follow" all the presenters on Twitter, so you can follow their conversation as the Webinar takes place or ask them questions. You can also follow on Summize, a site that lets you search Twitter for specific words or phrases, any mentions of the "twebinar" so you can see in real time what people are saying. Gets a little confusing...one of those things you have to see to understand.

But, I think, case closed -- I'm a definite "twit".