What is Twitter, anyway?

Long-time followers know I’m a big fan of Twitter. I use it every day. You can see what I say on Twitter, right over there, in the sidebar.

But, some of you may wonder, what exactly is Twitter?

Easy. Twitter is a communications tool, sort of a cross between IM and chat rooms. Each post answers the question, “what are you doing?”

But – just to keep things lively – each response has to be less than 140 characters. Not a lot of space. But that’s part of its charm.

That brevity also makes Twitter usable via SMS, as well as the web and dedicated Twitter software.

You “follow” people whose comments – called tweets – interest you and collect followers in return.

Communities form – every day – around shared interests, shared ideas, shared information. Tomorrow? Your conversation may be completely different.

And you can keep your conversations private or be as public as you like.

Some folks call this micro-blogging. And it is. But it’s much more, too. Think of it as a chat room where you decide who else can enter.

And that’s its greatest appeal. Unlike IM, you’re exposed to more folks. Unlike chat rooms, you control who you engage with.

In many ways, Twitter is a social network, a network built of ideas.

Some suspect Twitter will replace journalism. And it has definitely had an impact on how people learn about breaking stories.

Need more information about Twitter? Here are the top 10 past posts about Twitter we’ve done here on thinks:

• Smart companies use Twitter. Here’s how.
• Yet another reason smart companies use Twitter
• Is Twitter an e-commerce driver?
• Learning copywriting from Twitter
• How Twitter can save your life as well as your business
• Comcast and Twitter (Sorry. No chickens this time)
• Can you find new business using Twitter?
• The top 15 tools for finding useful information online
• Twitter will make us the Borg. Resistance if futile. And that’s OK.
• How to track your brand on the social web

And Brian Solis takes a strong look at Twitter tools for community and communications professionals

Still not convinced? Your call. But, just to show how much value a tweet can hold, each paragraph of this post is less than 140 characters.

Just sayin’.

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Oh. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter.

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