How to Use Twitter and Twitterific
Social Networking Online, on iPhone, and on iPod Touch
Jul 15, 2008
The concept of Twitter is that it is made for jotting quick notes to an entire social network, like a blog but in highly truncated form. The service cuts off posts at 140 characters, so the user is forced to keep it brief. This is also an advantage for readers, who can view their entire network’s posts, or “tweets,” on the homepage. Reading a few days worth of tweets normally only takes a few minutes.
How to Sign up with Twitter and Post Tweets
Once the user signs up with Twitter, she can create a brief profile including a link to a homepage or another blog, and a small picture that serves as the user icon. Each Twitter page has a “follow” link, which is equivalent to adding a friend on other social networking sites. Twitter users can also select the “protect my updates” checkbox to limit followers to actual friends, and set notice options to receive e-mail about new followers or direct messages.
In addition to using tweets as a form of blogging, there is a reply link next to each tweet, so that users can comment on each other’s entries. These replies will be visible to others, but there is also a direct messaging option that is private.
How to Use Twitter on iPhone and iPod Touch
Given its short message format, Twitter is ideal for mobile devices. A tweet is no longer than an average text message, and with the release of the App Store, iPhone and iPod Touch users can now use Twitter in its visually pleasing and easy-to-use format, Twitterific.
Once the user downloads Twitterific, a free application, to the iPhone or iPod, the next step is to enter the login information in the application. Users need to sign up for an account on the Twitter site before using the mobile version.
The default display is a list view, which shows tweets with the user name, icon, the tweet, and the time since the tweet was posted in weeks, days, or hours. Regular tweets appear with a grey background; replies to the user appear with a brown background. Double-clicking a tweet displays it in a larger window with options to reply, mark as favorite, see the user’s profile, or return to list view.
In both views, there are also options to refresh (two curved arrows) or post a new tweet (speech bubble). The post option brings up a standard text box for typing, along with a camera icon that can be used to post photos. Another useful option is the screwdriver icon, which allows the user to set preferences, including purchasing a premium version of Twitter that doesn’t display ads.
Mobile phone users can also send and receive tweets via text messaging, which is a free service, but the interface is not as attractive and users who do not have unlimited text messaging should be aware of possible fees from their wireless provider. This feature is available under “Settings” on the Twitter homepage.
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