Tweetiquette

I've become fascinated by Twitter!
For anyone who hasn't come across it, or has heard of it but has no idea what it is, it is a real time social networking communicator! (Well that's how I see it)
Millions of people around the world post 'stuff' all the time, and as it is limited to 140 characters at a time, it is short, sharp and packs a punch!
You choose who's posts you want to see (ie who you want to Follow), and others choose you (your Followers!)
There is, however, the Public Timeline, where everything is posted and it goes by at an incredibly rapid pace, so don't try to keep up!

This is where it gets interesting ... when you start out, no one is following you, so you feel a bit like you're talking to yourself.

Then you start following people ... you'll come across websites that you visit, and people you know who have a Twitter Follow Me link, so you hit the link - just so that you've got something to watch and hopefully respond to occasionally.

Then after a day or so on Twitter you start getting hit by the serial Twits - they're the ones who Follow everyone in the hope that you'll follow them back! Guess what, you will! When you start out and have hardly anyone following you, you are so grateful that you follow everyone back just to keep them happy and following!

But beware, they will fill your day with ads for how to get rich using the internet, re Tweet other peoples posts about how to get rich using the internet, or only spout cliched wise words of wisdom from other people. I'm beginnning to suspect that these people are actually not people but spamming robots.

Then there are the people who seem to be real, but befriend you so that they can send you an endless stream of advertisements for their business! Don't get me wrong, I don't mind people advertising - after all, networking sites are a great way to find new business and make contacts. BUT, I do mind those that ONLY advertise their wares and don't communicate on a human level at all.

So now you've been on Twitter for a few days and have a few of your new best friends Following you, BUT, you've found a lot of interesting people and businesses also that you want to follow - in fact, you're following more than are following you!

Is that a problem? Well, according to one article I read (from a link that someone Tweeted to me, and I really wish I had favourited it so that I could find it again), apparently one way to tell a Spammer from Genuine Twits is that they Follow more people than are Following them!! Try telling that to all the newbies who, like me, are trying to figure out how all of this works!
You become paranoid that you are Following too many people, so you cut back your list, but then, all the people who ticked the "Stop Following people who Stop Following Me" come off your Followers list, so you have to take more off your Follow list, and it becomes a viscious circle!

Before you know it, you are back to square one and are friendless again!

If Celebritweets are anything to go by, you need to aim for about 32 people to Follow, and be followed by 432,861 others. Also, make sure those 32 that you do follow are Celebritweets as well ... just to make sure that none of the unwashed masses think that they can make it onto your Follow list!

Its a fun place, I've actually begun to make some great contacts, especially with other WAHMs (Work at Home Mums)like me!
I'm learning more and more every day, and now that I have over 100 followers I feel a little less stressed!

I do though sometimes feel that I'm talking to myself ... oh well, what's new!

P.S. Make sure you Follow Me on Twitter! and I might even Follow you Back!