A few weeks ago I joined Twitter. I post under RuthlessTweets, because somebody else had purloined my real name.
What on earth is the point of Twitter?
I resisted joining for years.
Yes, you can waste endless hours.
And, the temptation to keep checking for new Tweets is overwhelming.
And, yes, Twittering can be the single most time-wasting experience ever.
But … Twitter opens up a whole new world of communication.
You can follow others and simply eavesdrop.
You can join in conversations and talk to people you would never meet in real life.
Or you can post your own comments and share your thoughts with others.
What can you say in 140 characters?
There is an art to a good Tweet.
Your posts need to be short, pithy and entertaining (and there is nothing wrong with being concise).
If you have more to say, you can provide links for others to follow if they want to.
Of course, if your short ‘hook’ isn’t interesting enough, they won’t follow the link.
Is that all there is?
No – there are numerous offshoots from Twitter, including add-ons provided by Twitter, along with software developed by others. I have only scratched the surface of what is available to enrich the Twitter experience.
Create your own Newspaper
One of those offshoots is paper.li.
Here you can combine Tweets with links, creating a website that has the look and feel of an online magazine.
You don’t get to choose exactly what appears – your editorial control is limited.
But the beauty of the ‘newspaper’ is you don’t have to obsessively watch Tweets. Just read the paper, updated daily or weekly – your choice. Here you can pick out the highlights and follow the stuff that interests you.
Read and enjoy the eclectic world of the Twitterati.
Here is one I created earlier: Books and Writers Daily Update
Ruth Livingstone 