What are you doing?  This is the question that is on most of your friends and family’s minds.  If you’re familiar with Twitter, one of the fastest growing websites, those closest to you probably already know the answer. 

The Twitter site is free to the public and set up so that its members, “Twitterers”, can submit short messages detailing what they are doing.  The short entries, called “Tweets” are to be seen by a network chosen by the member and can only be up to 140 words in length.  The length of the messages make it possible to send multiple “Tweets” a day between you and your network.  Messages become more conversational this way and don’t take up too much time like an email or phone call might. 

Twitter is used by anyone who can use a computer or cell phone and has soon become a fixture in many peoples’ lives.  People use it for anything from keeping in close touch with coworkers, friends, family etc. to checking out the news in real time.  CNN was one of the first news sources to utilize Twitter and has since grown an enormous following.  President Elect Obama also used Twitter to keep the public abreast of what was happening during his campaign.

One Twitter user summed up the reason many people use the service in a New York Times article.  Tony Stubblebine said, “At some point I got so busy and self-absorbed that I stopped reading or writing personal emails.  I’d see my sister about once a month and ask, ‘What’s up?’ only to find out, ‘Not much.’  Now I have a much more detailed picture of her life.”

To check out what SheSpeaks is doing on Twitter you can visit: https://explore.twitter.com/SheSpeaksInc
 

What do you think of Twitter?

Is Twitter something you might consider using to stay in contact with family and friends?