So, what's the deal with Twitter?

Thomas Galanis By Thomas Galanis
Follow on Twitter
on June 17, 2009 at 1:00 PM, updated June 23, 2009 at 1:39 PM


Twitter is a social media tool - not something only people with cell phones and blackberries are using. With millions using it, the Internet and the news media is all "atwitter" with Twitter (forgive the pun).

Imagine Facebook as a cruise down a river at a comfortable speed for most Internet users, particularly for the thirtysomething demographic that has adopted its use. It is a site you might find yourself spending hours on connecting with friends and family and cultivating relationships based on common interests.

Twitter, on the other hand, is the fastest speed boat in the ocean and the ocean itself is moving pretty fast too. The horizon (the information stream) has no end in sight. It's a no frills (except for links and hashtags) tool for those who lack an attention span. Careful or you might lose your swimsuit!

Here is a video featured on Twitter's help pages explaining Twitter:

Twitter is a tool that asks users to answer one simple question -- "what are you doing?" -- in 140 characters or less. This communication goes out to your followers. A mashed up world of information overload and digital chatter, Twitter is like every RSS (real simple syndication) feed in the world for every topic conceivable on the Internet. "Tweets", as Twitter likes to call them, are the messages sent out by users. They can include links (which can look funny because the URL is shortened, i.e. or and also include hashtags. Hashtags are a pound sign # followed by a designated search term which allows users to easily search messages by subject or event.

For example, users interested in Western Massachusetts happenings can search the term #westernma.

Why should you care to know about Twitter anyway? It's all the buzz on the Internet right now and it is making global news with the current situation in Iran. Signing up for a Twitter account takes less than a minute and could mean the difference with being in the know or in the dark.

The way people communicate today is changing, and we are moving towards a more on-demand world. Information is pushed at us, and we have to filter through what matters most to us and what sources we choose to believe.

For more information on Twitter you can research the wikipedia page at and visit sites like to find out if there is anything you are interested in on Twitter. Once you are signed on, why not search #westernma to find some of the local tweeple!

New Twitter users, follow my six simple guidelines to get started safely and securely:

1. Twitter is a social media tool; it is not the end-all, be-all of information on the Internet. Do not believe everything you read on Twitter. Always verify something you read on the Internet with a couple of alternative sources, and try to include helpful links to convey the message you are sending.

2. Twitter is a public information stream. You should never "tweet" personal information such as account numbers or your address as there are sites that can follow users without their knowing. Also, do not send "tweets" like: "I am going away and no one is home for five days, can somebody watch my cat?". This is an open invitation for suspicious activity.

3. Twitter is not the place you should swear or curse openly. There are sites that can track real-time cursing and your "tweets" can end up on sites like these for the world to see!

4. The unwritten rule is to follow someone if they follow you. There are lots of Twitter Bots (accounts that have no real person behind them) out there. A twitter bot is a Twitter account with a program or algorithm behind it used to seek out new users for the purpose of spamming you with direct messages once you follow them. You don't want to be followed by an inappropriate account on Twitter.

5. You can set your account to approve any followers before they can follow you. Because it is not enabled by default, most users do not turn this feature on. By keeping this feature off, you will pay more attention to your followers and be aware of who is connecting.

6. You can block users that you do not want following you. It is important to look at your followers daily. There are sites out there that can track and analyze whose following you and notify you if someone follows or stops following you. This can help you manage your thousands of fans! :)

Twitter is evolving and changing everyday from a social media tool to a communications tool and now it, along with other social media sites like, will most likely make history.

Remember that your digital footprint is quickly becoming your fingerprint. Using social media may determine how people, businesses, employers and your family and friends can view you in real life.

Just remember to ask yourself, should I really be doing this on Twitter?

-Tom Galanis (@tgalanis on Twitter)