Tutorial: Twitter

Hi Guys, I thought I would go ahead and make up a tutorial for you guys and gals to help you out. 

First off; Joining: It the typical set up as anything else, name, email, user-name, etc.  Keep in mind, as CFC, its great to kind of keep the same name you have here that way its easier for all of us to know who you are.  But of course you may choose any user-name you want here. 

Twitter gives you the option of setting up your phone on Twitter.  This is entirely up to you and you do not need it to have a Twitter account. This option is if you would like to receive certain updates from the people you’re following as text messages on your phone.  Remember all text messages rates apply.  I will explain later how to activate this option with followers further on. 



Once all set up you have the option of looking through you address book or your emails to see if you have anyone you know already that has twitter so you can add them without having to search. 

Picture: adding picture is sometimes difficult with twitter as this and backgrounds are always under construction.  If gives you a hassle the first couple of times, it’s probably not your fault and probably Twitters.  But make sure the picture is maximum 700K and that is a jpeg, Gif, and PNG.  It must be downloaded from your computer or your phone.  You cannot paste a Flickr or other photo property into the photo engine.  Once you browsed your photo hit save, not enter, other wise it will not work.

Design: you can go with either some of Twitters pre-made backgrounds, or find an app on the internet much like MySpace, or just use a picture of your own.  Please keep in mind, if you use another pre-made one from another site the often ask for your Twitter account information, including your password, this is up to you if you would like to share your personal information.  You can always change you password other wise.  Other pre-fabs have you save the picture and then add it like a pic off your computer onto the background.  If you use your own picture keep in mind it might not fit and you may have to re-size it.  They have a tile option too.  Same Principle goes for the background that goes for your picture, do not hit enter after putting in file hit save.
 
The Terms:

*What you are doing? :  This a status bar, equal to that of MySpace or Facebook.  You do not have to take it literally and say what you are doing, though you can.  But you are more than welcome to say what’s on your mind, what you’re listening to, what your watching etc.


You can send pictures out, videos, web pages, etc.  As long as you can fit it all in the 140 characters.


*Follower: someone who is watching and reading your updates.  They are able to see what you type every time you enter something in the "status" bar.  Usually you can only see your updates by themselves or @replies of people who both are following, but I've seen it where you get all of someone's updates. 



*Following: You may follow anyone whom you choose.  To find these people you may go to the top right screen and click on Find People.  From there you will get a search bar-- type in either the person first and last name or the user-name you think the person has.  If nothing comes to, try different variations.  Examples:CFCrey, CFCjohn, CrashandBurn, etc.  Until you can find the friend you are looking for.  If you’re still not finding anything and you’re pretty sure that person has an account type in their email in the right hand box towards the side of the scene.  Hopefully it comes up then.  If you would like to receive a text every time this person posts go to either you’re following section on your home page.  Find the person you are wanting to get texts from, below their name if will give you the option Device Updates: on or off.  Click on if you want text messages off when you want to stop getting messages from them.  *remember you have to have your device already set in Twitter to receive them.


*@replies - once you are following someone or if you want to "reply" to someone on Twitter you must know their user-name such as "FlyingCircus805" now if you want to say something directly to CFC type in @FlyingCircus805 (then your message here).  That simple. just don’t forget the @, but to make it easier if you see the follower then Twitter has a little arrow on the right hand side you can click on and it will automatically put the persons @name in the status bar so you do not have to type it in every time.  You can also @reply more than one person, remember all the people you add will see all the people you put in there.  Also you can indirectly @reply someone, where people you are not following can still get the message but then you are still referring to the person.  Here’s an example:



"Dang I wish I could play that solo like @johncmayer, he's got skills" -- now all of my followers are going to see that message and John Mayer will see that message.  People that are not following you or that are following you but you are not, can send you @replies, and so check your @reply section of Twitter frequently.  This section is on the right hand side below the home option.  Same thing to responding to them applies to anyone.


RT - this means Re-Tweet.  Basically you agree or think what that person says is important or funny and you want to share it.  You can either just copy and paste what they said.  Or if there is room you can comment as well.  Here’s example:


RT @FlyingCurcus805 Fun fly this weekend!.


Again don’t forget the @ before the persons name and don’t forget to space the reply after the person's name.  When you copy and paste it is always mashes the name and the statement together and if that happens, no one will be able to click on the person who said the statements name.

*# - this is called a hashtag, or a reference tag.  It’s the same for pictures on Flickr or anything other site.  When referencing something say: RC Planes, just add the # to it and that way RC Planes can become a trending thread, or when searching for RC Planes on Twitter or twibes ( a place where the # go for easy reference) you can see every tweet everyone has said about RC Planes.  So here’s an example: “I cannot wait to go flying on saturday!!!!"  Make sure the word is spelled out right and don’t add anything to it including the exclamation point because you will make it into another reference tag.


*direct message - this can only be used if you are following a person and they are following you.  It is still 140 characters long but it’s a PM between you two.  That’s all it is.  You do not have to put @ then their name in it because DM has their own format similar to an email.

Ok boys and Girls I think that’s it for now.  Please let me know if there is anything I missed and if there is anything you guys need help with.  I will be more then glad to assist you.



Nicky James