Twitter for Twits

I felt like a twit. I was seriously falling behind the technology curve! Social networking was passing me like a podracer and I was the old lady with a walker eating its dust.

I decided to do something about it. No, I didn't get a Smart Phone to keep in touch (in fact, I don't have a cell phone at all). Instead, I found other ways to "get with the times". I got a blog. I participated in blogfests. I found facebook. I joined Twitter.

My husband was amazed. "How did you learn how to do all that stuff?" he asked me.

"I just Google'd it and learned."

And, so can you! Pretty much anything you want to learn how to do is on the internet. Instructions are everywhere. Below are my directions for Twitter.

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Twitter for Twits

Q: What is Twitter?
A: A quick way to communicate short messages or shout out what is going on.

Q: What is a Tweet?
A: Sending a message using Twitter.

Q: How do I do Twitter? 
A: Directions are below.

1. Sign up for a Twitter Account. Go to Twitter website and put in your name, email, and password and then click "Sign Up".
 
2. Customize your account. To do this, click the down arrow beside your username, then choose "Settings". Here are the tabs and what you can do on them:

   a. Account - Set username, email, time zone, etc.
     b. Password - If you ever need to change password
     c. Mobile - Using Twitter with Text Messaging
     d. Notification - Select when to get emailed from Tweets
     e. Profile - Upload your photo and personal information
     f. Design - Select a theme or Change Background Image, then Save Changes
 

4. Find and follow friends. Click "Who to Follow". Then type in your friend's name and click "Search". Find your friend from the list and click their "+ Follow" button.
 

5. Post a Tweet. To do this, click "Home". Type in your Tweet in the "What's Happening" box and click "Tweet" button. Note: A Tweet has only 140 characters. 
Here is an example of a Tweet: 

I published my first story! Woo Hoo!

Extras:

How to Tweet and include a blog/website link -- Type in your message and the web address. Twitter will shorten the address when it posts. 

Here is an example of a Tweet with link: 

Check out this great blog! http://1stwrites.blogspot.com

 

How to Tweet directly to one person. Click "Home". Choose the person you want to direct your Tweet to and type in the box that says "Tweet to @theirusername". Click "Tweet".

What is a Twitter Hashtag? Hashtags (like #writecampaign) help spread information on Twitter and help organize the particular event. For more on hastags click here. 

Here is an example of a Tweet with Hashtag:

Please turn off Word Verification if you are doing #writecampaign

 

For everything else you might (or might not) want to know, check out Mashable's Twitter Guide Book.