Social networking and micro-blogging sensation Twitter has spawned its own language, from the basic to the obscure. Knowing what common Twitter terms mean and how to use them correctly can help a Twitterer manage their Tweets effectively, and understand what their Followers are saying.
Basic Twitter Terms
Twitter has quickly become the third largest social networking site in the world and as the service grows in popularity, so does the vocabulary and the conventions used (otherwise known as the Twittonary). Words used on Twitter can refer to an action, a convention or a tool. Most of the terms used centre around adding “Tw” as a prefix to existing words or around variations on the word Twitter. For example, Twitter users are referred to as Tweeters, Twitterers or Tweeple, and Tweets are the 140-character updates they post.
To Follow refers to the process of signing up to receive someone’s Tweets, therefore making anyone who is following someone’s Tweets their Followers. The number of Followers a Twitterer has, as well as whom and how many they are Following appears on the user’s profile, with high numbers usually reflecting a popular Twitterer (for example, US President Barack Obama has over 400,000 Followers).
There are two ways to contact a Follower directly. Direct Messages (DM) are private Tweets that only the Follower will see, while @replies (created by typing the @ symbol followed by the person’s username) will appear in the Tweet feed and are therefore visible to all Followers. These are both limited to 140 characters.
Common Twitter Conventions
Due to the high volume of Tweets, there are many Twitter terms that have sprung up from the Twitter community to aid in organisation and readability. Twitterers use the shorthand RT (Retweet) in front of something they are reposting or repeating from another user, usually an interesting link, quote or request.
Hashtag refers to the convention of prefixing a word with a hash symbol in order to track, organise or filter Tweets by subject or category, and to provide context. For example, if someone is leading a Twitter discussion on common Twitter terms with their Followers, they could include #commonterms in their Tweet. This is an effective tool for keeping track of debates, common news items or popular topics and makes it easier to find topics in a search.
Obscure Twitter Terms
As well as the more practical Twitter tools and terms, there are a number of humorous and strange Twitter terms that have developed.
Along with the Twitterati (the A-List Tweeple everyone wants to follow, including many celebrities), there are also plenty of Phweeters – people who set up fake twitter accounts of certain celebrities and personalities (e.g. Darth Vader and Chuck Norris). Tweeterboxes are people who Tweet too much, as is someone who is Twitterpated. A Dweet is a Tweet posted while drunk, a Twaggle is a gaggle of Followers, and Tweading means reading Tweets.
The official Twitter Twittonary allows users to add their own terms and as the site grows, so do the number of tools, terms and shorthands.
Improve Your Tweet-cred
Understanding and using common Twitter terms can help broaden the user’s experience and allow them to use Twitter more effectively. For more common (and obscure) Twitter terms, browse the official Twittonary. For anyone just getting started and looking for interesting people to test their knowledge of Twitter terms on, see “Who Should I Follow on Twitter?”
There are also plenty of other social networking sites to explore, which can help the user build an effective online presence, make new connections and even learn a new language.
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