Twitter - Social Networking's Latest Phenomenon

Much buzz has been made about the latest craze in the world of social media, that being the "microblogger" Twitter. Twitter messages ("Tweets") can be used for anything from advertising one's latest blog to informing an audience of what the user had for lunch. Users range from high-school kids to high profile celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears. Twitter is possibly the most simple service available in terms of sign-up and usage, but most complex in terms of its social implications.

Unlike social networking titans Facebook and Myspace, Twitter operates purely on text, which can generally be read by absolutely anyone (unless a user chooses to lock her/his account). Tweets range from one to two lines. Updating is incredibly easy and can even be done from a cell phone. For users wishing to contact a person publicly, one can begin a Tweet with "@username" to direct the message to an intended user without broadcasting to the mass audience. However, the Tweet will still be displayed on the sender's homepage. Private Tweets can be exchanged using a simple "D" command. The catch: users sending direct messages must be mutual followers. That brings us to the networking aspect.

Twitter is built on a system of "followers" which can most easily be equated to fans. If a user finds your Tweets interesting, they can choose to "follow" your Tweets. Your account will be notified, with an option existing for you to follow the user who is following you. All Tweets by users you follow will appear on your home page, allowing you to stay up to date with their latest Tweets and respond if you feel so compelled.

Sound a bit complicated? It is at first, but quickly becomes an addictive and effective tool. The only currently irritating issue is the fact that if one has a large number of followers or is following a large number of users, locating them can be a bit tedious as a search feature does not currently exist. But this can be easily corrected and probably will be in the near future.

As a relatively new user, I'm still getting the hang of the system myself. I've quickly come to lean on the service as much, if not more, than any of the other social networking services, as it is the easiest and most time-saving of the group.

Follow me at http://twitter.com/ChrisSosa .