About a month ago, a friend decided to host a dinner party. She was inspired by the downturn in the economy and the reality that some friends were at risk of losing their jobs. Her idea was to get together a handful of smart, creative, hardworking people, most of who didn’t know each other, and see if any connections could be made. By the end of the night cell numbers and e-mail addresses were exchanged.

I know you think I’ve diverted from topic, but I haven’t. What happened that night was good old-fashioned socializing with an underlying agenda of possibly making work connections. Certain websites are designed after the same idea – they’re referred to as “social networking” sites. Social networking has many purposes – create a discussion around a topic, share news and ideas, find a like-minded soul, discover a long-lost classmate, build your business, and the list goes on. Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr are social networking websites each designed differently. In this blog, I introduce Twitter. In the coming weeks we’ll get to the others.

Direct from Merriam-Webster (http://www.merriam-webster.com/):</>
Main Entry: ¹twit·ter

Pronunciation: \ˈtwi-tər\

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English twiteren; akin to Old High German zwizzirōn to twitter

Date: 14th century

intransitive verb1: to utter successive chirping noises

How Twitter Works

“Tweets” are the entries that you type on the website Twitter to share with others. Each entry is limited to 140 characters. You can invite people (referred to as “followers”) to view your tweets and you can decide whose tweets (those you are “following”) you want to read. I have a wide variety of folks I follow – friends and family, NPR, CNN, several bookstores, other authors, and some really helpful computer geeks.

Here’s a look at Twitter’s site:

The box below “What are you doing?” is where you type your missive. You don’t need to worry about counting characters. The number 140 changes, as you type, to reflect how many characters are available. Once you’re ready to share your thoughts, simply click update.

As you can see, in the upper right, I’ve added a photo and my “user name” is abbystokes. Tbbycatt, whose entry is above, has chosen to have a photo as well. You can make those choices for yourself when you click on Settings.

Many tweets include a link. (To review links, refer to p. 178 in “Is This Thing On?”.) The use of links explains how the limit of 140 characters doesn’t really limit how much information can be had from a tweet. If you click on the suggested link, you’ll be brought to a website with more information on the subject tweeted upon.

Those really are the basics of how to operate Twitter. Looks pretty simple, doesn’t it? It is.

What I think can be more mysterious, for some, is why anyone would want to add Twitter to their lives. Keep in mind that you’re the one who controls how much time you spend on your computer and on a given website. I check out Twitter in the morning and evening, but it doesn’t consume any more time than I desire. Twitter is a rich source of information and/or entertainment depending on who you follow. You can get up-to-the-minute news, read a review of the lastest blockbuster, or ask if anyone knows the best way to treat jellyfish stings. Visit me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/abbystokes. See how it feels.

If you want more information about Twitter, let me know and I’ll post a follow up blog. In the meantime, you may find these links helpful: http://tinyurl.com/100tools, http://www.gissisim.com/2009/03/how-to-twitter-like-a-pro/, and http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/.

The first session, for the absolute beginner, will answer the questions: Why would I use a computer? What good would it do? How I can keep my identity – and my bank accounts – safe while online? What, how and why Google, Blogs and Facebook?

The first presentation in the series will be simultaneously translated into Spanish. It is described below for any Spanish speakers.

Desmitificar la computadora/Demystifying Computers – Monday, March 21, 2011, 10:30am-12:30PM

Abby Stokes, escritora y profesora de computación, aclarará los mitos de la computadora para principiantes, especialmente aquellos que nunca hayan tocado una. Ella responderá a preguntas tales como:

¿Por qué querría yo usar una computadora? ¿De qué me serviría? ¿Cómo puedo mantener mi identidad– y mis cuentas bancarias– seguras, estando en línea? ¿El qué, cómo y por qué de Google, Blogs y Facebook?

Encuentre la respuesta a estas preguntas y mucho más en esta presentación gratuita.

Presentación simultaneamente traducida al español.

Ubicación: Primer piso, Salón de programas.

What Can I Do Besides Send E-Mail? – Monday, March 21, 2011, 2:30-4:30PM

In my second lecture, we will go “beyond the basics” of computer demystifying and will discuss e-mail attachments, netiquette, and how to get–and stay–organized online.

How to Safely Surf the Internet and Find (Almost) Anything – Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 10:30 am-12:30PM

This lecture will cover how to get the most out of your searches online; safety, shopping and banking; and I’ll recommend websites for travel, health, finance, and more.

Social Networking–What the Heck are Facebook, Twitter, and Blogging??? – Wednesday, March 23, 2011, 2:30-4:30PM

This, the final lecture, will explain what everyone’s talking about when they bring up Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. I’ll also share how you can enjoy the benefits of social media without risking the loss of your privacy.

These programs will take place in the first floor program room at 455 Fifth Avenue between 39th and 40th Streets.

I hope to see you there or that you’ll pass the word onto anyone who might be interested.

I love this list for authors! “50 Things Under $50 To Promote Your Book”:
http://amarketingexpert.com/ameblog/uncategorized/fifty-things-under-50-bucks-to-promote-your-book/comment-page-1/

Brace yourself for some straight talk…Sonia Simone’s “7 Harsh Realities of Social Media Marketing”:
http://www.copyblogger.com/harsh-social-media-marketing/

Here are several links specific to Twitter…

J.S. McDougall’s “10 Tweetable Twitter Tips for Book Publishers”:
http://www.jsmcdougall.com/2009/12/ten-tweetable-twitter-tips-for-book-publishers/

Dan Blank, from Digital Book World, “How To Leverage Twitter When You Have Little Time”:
http://digitalbookworld.com/2010/how-to-leverage-twitter-when-you-have-little-time/

Mashable, as mentioned on the panel. Read about all things twitter and more:
http://mashable.com/category/twitter-lists/

Intended for college students, but helpful to all using Twitter “100 Twitter Tools To Help You Meet Your Goals”:
http://www.onlinebestcolleges.com/blog/2009/100-twitter-tools-to-help-you-achieve-all-your-goals/

Recommended by Kelly Leonard, one of tonight’s panelists, “How To Quantify The Reach Of Your Tweet”:
http://tweetreach.com/

About blogging…

Michael Hyatt’s “Do You Make These 10 Mistakes When You Blog?”:
http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/11/do-you-make-these-10-mistakes-when-you-blog.html

Jason Baer’s “How To Match 10 Key Success Metrics To Your Blogging Strategy”:
http://socialmediatoday.com/SMC/179256?utm_source=smt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Sage advice about what not to so with your blog from Jane Friedman “5 Things That Make Me Stop Reading Websites and Blogs”:
http://writerunboxed.com/2009/12/18/5-things-that-make-me-stop-reading-websites-blogs/

Miscellaneous…

Galley Cat’s “Podcasting Tips for Authors”:
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/web_tech/podcasting_tips_for_authors_153628.asp

Planning your own publicity? This calendar is an amazing resource to make a plan:
http://www.directcontactpr.com/files/files/Publicityplan2010.pdf

Helpful sites mentioned at tonight’s WNBA event…

Yen Cheong’s blog on “news, trends, and tips for book publicists” is a great resource for anyone in the book business:
http://yodiwan.wordpress.com/

Social Network for books. music, movies, and more on the web:
http://getglue.com/

MeetUp “helps groups of people with shared interests plan meetings and form offline clubs in local communities”:
http://www.meetup.com/

Book Movement “serves over 21,000 book clubs”:
http://bookmovement.com/

Good luck to all of you and your book projects!