What is Twitter?

[bamalli]

What is Twitter?

Answer:
Here is a good explanation from Paul Gil and Susan Gunelius of About.com.
http://netforbeginn ers.about. com/bio/Paul- Gil-7508. htm
http://weblogs. about.com/ bio/Susan- Gunelius- 39478.htm

"Microblogging" has caught fire in ways that no one could have foreseen. It has become a way for business employees to send real-time updates to each other. It is a way for hobbyists to follow their favorite celebrities. Amateur journalists can report from war-torn countries by using their cell phones. Families can text-update each other on an ill member in the hospital.

Twitter is a free micro-blogging tool that allows users to publish short messages (140 characters or less) through their computers and mobile phones. Twitter launched in 2007 and nearly 1 million people were using it within one year of its debut.

People who use Twitter write short messages, called Tweets, which they publish either publicly (for all Twitterers to see) or privately (for only certain Twitterers to see). Typically, users will sign up to follow other users whose Tweets they enjoy. For this reason, Twitter can be a great tool for networking, relationship- building and promoting blogs.

Businesses also use Twitter to promote products and services and offer real-time customer service. Twitter provides an excellent source of free publicity.