Are you on Twitter?

[Minnemom]

If so, post your Twitter name here. I'm finally getting the hang of it, but it's more interesting when there are good people to follow.

I'm minnemom, or http://twitter.com/minnemom

[Michelle Gurung]

Yep, just joined. I'm mnlibrarygrrl. This will be interesting to see....

[Laura Miller]

I have an account but I haven't been using it but I will again since I know its the next "thing". My username there is free_shape

[Julie Schlangen]

I'm starting to get the hang of Twitter, and I added y'all in case you see the message about toasgray. That's me. For those who've been on Twitter for awhile, do you have any tips about writing tweets?

[Minnemom]

Here are my tips after having used twitter a lot in the past year:

Make it interesting, humorous if possible. It's challenging to be interesting in 140 characters.

@ reply to people, but if you go back-and-forth 2 or 3 times, move to direct-messaging so everyone else doesn't have to read the entire exchange. (You can only DM people who are following you, however.)

It's ok to post links to your blog posts or other sites you find interesting, but make sure the "real" you shows through as well. A lot of people are turned off by automatic posts, especially if that's all a person tweets.

You don't have to follow everyone who follows you. Some people like to follow 20, some 2000. It's all up to you. Some people get upset when people quit following them; try not to take it personally. Followers come and go.

It's more fun if you have at least some people to follow and follow you. To find followers, you can go through the followers of other people and see if they look interesting to you. Want to find local people? Try the top twitterers in Minnesota. You can also search for people, places, or terms ("library") using the "Find People" tab on twitter.

I like using 3rd-party apps (Twhirl is my favorite; I've also used Tweetdeck and Spaz) rather than Twitter's web interface. Give some a try and see which one you like.

There are some fun apps as well that help you keep track of followers, topics, keep organized, etc. I have fun watching my twitter grade at http://twitter.grader.com and have also used it to find interesting new people to follow.

The library world may be interested to know that Maya Angelou is on twitter now. From the looks of it, it's the real Maya Angelou, and her tweets are beautiful! It's humbling to have people follow you, especially those who are well-known.

Looking forward to hearing tips from other people!

Linda

[Jennifer Beck]

I signed up for an account but don't know where to even start. I went here and added some to follow but that was about it. Feeling overwhelmed on a cold snowy day.

JenLibrary: http://twitter.com/JenLibrary

[Minnemom]

Jen and anyone else, feel free to give me a shout any time you want to test the twitter waters. Follow me (I'll follow back if I see you on this thread or you mention 23/More Things), send me an @minnemom message or direct message, whatever you want. I can be a twitter guinea pig for you. I remember what it was like the first time I was on twitter, with a blank screen staring me in the face and no idea what to do with it.

The only thing is, I follow a lot of people and don't read each and every tweet (shhh! don't tell anyone), so if you want to catch my attention, send a DM (direct message) or put @minnemom in a post and I will be sure to see it.

Linda

[Ruth Solie]

Hi, Jen -- follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/rcksolie and also look through some of the people I follow and follow any of them that look interesting! I'll look for you on Twitter. It is definitely an experiential tool -- you have to use it for a while before it begins to make sense (or become addictive).

p.s. anyone else doing More Things is welcome to follow me, and I'll follow you, too.

[Tandy K]

I thought I had a Twitter account sometime ago, but I guess it was just the invite that I got from a friend...lol. Anywho, I've got myself all set up and do some exploring around.

Minnemom... those are some good tips!!


My Twitter username: tandy77

[Laurie]

twitter.com/lubaurubie

I've been using twitter and I think it is a really fun diversion....when one is needed.

[Linda Wadman]

Great tips, minnemom. I've been on Twitter since the first 23 things. Tried it just to figure out how and what it might be used for and have found it a very useful, interesting tool. Versatility is amazing and I love to see all the apps out there using it. I'm lindawadman on Twitter. Make sure you fill out some profile info so I can tell something about you, that's how I decide who I will follow in most cases. If you let me know you're a more things participant, I'll follow you. Hoping to create some more devoted Twitter users.

[Tasha Olsonawski]

So I have my twitter account and apparently, I am not in the "in" crowd. I don't think it's all that useful and really don't see the need for it. So if anyone else maybe thinks just a little like I do you may really enjoy this video from Jon Stewart Twitter - Frenzy not only that but you should read all the posts related to this video on Trendwatch. I think they are very valid and true!

[Tandy K]

Those comments are pretty valid and true. Thanks for sharing that, Tasha. And speaking of Twitter, I think I have only visited my account once after creating it. I'm so not a fan.