The majority of Internet going people will have heard of Twitter by now, thanks to its success on the social networking scene. At its heart Twitter is a web service that allows people to post regular updates to the Internet (called “tweets”), telling people what they are doing or thinking at any particular time. The unique thing about Twitter is that you only get 140 characters to do it in.

There are many ways to access Twitter. You can “tweet” using an instant messaging program, or by cell-phone SMS (where available), even using a special program (called a client), or simply use the web site itself. Just so long as your message is 140 characters (or less) there is a way to get it onto Twitter.

Why use Twitter?

Twitter is being used for a myriad of reasons.

• Friends and Family
  Some people like to user Twitter to stay in touch with friends and family, thinking of it as a messaging system.
• Networking
  Other people are taking advantage of the opportunity to meet like-minded people. For example, to build a following and keep them informed when they publish a new blog post or update their website.
• Business
  Companies are using Twitter to reach out from their business. For example, to let customers know about new products.
• Socialising
  Other people use Twitter to chat with others – like those water cooler moments you get at the office.

Where Now?

Read about how it all began

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