Before I delve into the topic for today, I want to thank everyone who came to the Macintosh Users’ Group iPad & iPhone Workshop on February 5. From the number of participants it is clear that tablets and smartphones are very popular with TR residents, and I hope everyone who attended came away with at least one question answered. A second, slightly more advanced workshop is being planned — date and time to be posted on the Computer Club bulletin board in Busch Hall.
An attendee at the workshop mentioned that one of her friends uses a Kindle Fire, and would love to see a workshop offered on that device. My suggestion, to Kindle Fire users and users of other Android OS devices, is to find other like-minded users and form an informal users group. The best way to learn about technology is to use it, and sharing with others is a great way of expanding your knowledge.
In last week’s column I introduced Twitter, the free, social networking service that enables users to send and receive short,140 character messages, known as tweets, in real-time. Twitter is used by a wide range of people to share just about every aspect of their lives, and it is also used by many commercial enterprises and nonprofit organizations. While most of the tweets from organizations are advertising in nature, organizations also use tweets to disseminate vital information. This week I am going to cover setting up a Twitter account, using Twitter on a computer and mobile devices, and how to find helpful tweets to follow.
Creating a free Twitter account is a simple process — you can go to www.twitter.com on a computer or on a smartphone or tablet, use the official Twitter app or one of the numerous third-part alternatives available for both Apple and Android devices. After entering the usual, required information (full name, email address, etc.) you will be asked to create a username and password. The username is how you will be known on Twitter, and when you send a tweet it will be your username preceded by an at sign (@). For example, my Twitter username is @lindaslens.
Signing onto your Twitter account on either a browser or mobile app will direct you to your personal home page with a listing of your tweets. On a computer the left side of the home screen features a long list of suggested users to follow, with a search box located directly above. On mobile versions of Twitter the search icon is located at the top-left of the screen. Enter the name of a person or entity and you will be directed to their Twitter account.
A more direct method for selecting to follow a commercial organization is to visit the organization’s website. Somewhere on the home page, usually at the very bottom or very top of the page, you will see a small blue icon of a bird, or the words Follow Us on Twitter. Click and you will be linked to the company’s Twitter page, where you will see a Follow button. Click the button and you will begin receiving tweets on your home page. To stop following a user, click on the blue Following button next to the user’s name on your homepage and you will stop receiving tweets.
As I am writing this column a major snow storm is being forecast for the northeast. If I were flying home to New York over the weekend, I would immediately begin following my ticketed airline. Twitter users are usually the first to know about flight delays and cancellations and are ahead of the curve when it comes to rescheduling and rebooking.
For anyone who wants to know more about the intricacies of using Twitter, the service provides excellent help pages that can be accessed through the the drop-down menu under the gear icon on the home page. It can be accessed directly at http://support.twitter.com.
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