The clear
leader in the micro-blogging field is Twitter
with over 1 million users11. Other notable micro-blogging players include Pownce and Jaiku, which offer various different features, but for the purposes
of this e-book it makes sense to focus on the Twitter format.
Twitter users
can send messages of up to 140 characters instantly to multiple platforms. 90%
of Twitter interactions12 are not made via the Twitter website, but via mobile
text message, Instant Messaging, or a desktop application such as Twitterific. Its flexibility is further
enhanced by the ability to subscribe to updates via RSS.
Uses of
Twitter vary. It’s popular among homeworkers and freelancers, who use it in
part as a ‘virtual watercooler’. Other people use it simply to stay in touch
with a close network and share thoughts or start conversations.
Its
suitability as a vehicle for breaking news has encouraged the BBC and CNN to
introduce Twitter feeds. Even candidates for the US Presidency have taken to
Twitter (for example, Barack Obama).
An important feature to note is that
Twitter can be indexed via Google. As with so much on the web, it’s a public
platform, so it’s worth remembering that as such your use of it may become part
of your ‘permanent record’.
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