Twitter is best described as a micro blogging platform. You are limited to 140 characters each time you do an update, which initially, may seem a small amount. However, as you become more experienced, it's just amazing what you can fit into 140 characters.
That said, Twitter is much, much more than that. It is like one huge global chat room, but then again, it doesn't have to be. It all depends on how many people you follow on Twitter. If it's in the thousands, then your “Tweetstream” will be running fast and furious with everything that's coming in. If you are only following a few hundred, or even less, then things are much easier to keep up with.
Twitter is also a great way to meet new people online, particularly those with similar interests to you.
How To Set Up
Setting up on Twitter to have your own account is easy, but there are a few things that you should be aware of when organizing your account. This can apply even if you already have an existing account too, so consider these tips and it can improve your entire Twittter experience.
The first thing to do if you don't have an account is go to http://www.twitter.com which is the home page of Twitter. You will be asked to either login or register. If you don't have an account, then of course you will need to register. So let's go through the registration process and explain it all here.
Registration
The Twitter screen will ask you for your first name and last name and will then check this is entered correctly. A green tick will appear next to the box.
The next box asks you for a user name and this is where you need to give some thought to how you are going to represent yourself on Twitter. You should remember that you can set up more than one account on Twitter, but you will need a different email address for each one.
Now this is where the thinking bit comes in. The first account you register should always be in your own name if you can get it. Naturally, common names like MalaysianOnline (there are no spaces in usernames) will already be taken. However it is possible to get variations on your own name such as Malaysian_Online, or Malaysian_Online23 or some variation like that. You can only use an underscore in a username. Hyphens are not permitted in the field.
It isn't absolutely critical that you register your own name, but I would advise you do if you can, particularly if your name is an unusual one. I'm sure the last thing you want is someone else impersonating you on Twitter, or anywhere else for that matter.
If you wish to register a business name, then you can do that of course, but make your you use your own name in the sign up process so you are identifiable and connected with the business name you register. The concepts and reasons for operating under each type of registration will be discussed later.
You are now asked for your email address. Email addresses are linked to accounts and you will only be able to use your email address once. For every account you register, you will need a different email address.
The last thing to do is to fill in the Captcha letters and then click on Create My Account.
The next screen will ask if you want to add any of your friends from the popular web based email programs. You can do this later if you wish.
The next screen presents a short list of people who Twitter asks if you would like to follow. Choose some if you like, but I wouldn't bother. I prefer to find my own friends on Twitter.
When you click Finish, you will then be taken to your very own Twitter account. You are logged in and ready to go!
Thanks for sharing. Will hope more Malaysians and especially Malaysian Online Network members will be using Twitter as a tool. :-)
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