Dipping a toe into twitter chat
While I was on vacation this summer, I was finally able to participate in my first #OTalk session via twitter. Because the brains behind this chat are in the UK, it's usually hard for me to join in due to work required at 3pm EST. But since I can't be outside most of the day while on vacay and the topic was about blogging, it was perfect timing to participate.
So, briefly, if you're not using twitter yet here's a few things you should know. Twitter is a microblogging service which allows you to post updates of 140 characters or less. By using a hashtag (# +designated word/s) you can connect with any other user also discussing the topic. You can use a service when participating in a twitter chat to make following the stream easier, or you can search within the basic twitter client. This was my first time in a twitter chat, and I was able to find this great introductory post to make it even easier.
I used TweetChat to easily follow the conversation and have it automatically add the proper hashtag for each tweet. It was easy to just log in with my twitter account and not have to setup anything extra. I was also able to bookmark the room for #otalk so I am all setup for subsequent weeks as well. The reply/RT/ and quote system was a little clunky, but the overall setup functioned well for what I needed.
So, briefly, if you're not using twitter yet here's a few things you should know. Twitter is a microblogging service which allows you to post updates of 140 characters or less. By using a hashtag (# +designated word/s) you can connect with any other user also discussing the topic. You can use a service when participating in a twitter chat to make following the stream easier, or you can search within the basic twitter client. This was my first time in a twitter chat, and I was able to find this great introductory post to make it even easier.
I used TweetChat to easily follow the conversation and have it automatically add the proper hashtag for each tweet. It was easy to just log in with my twitter account and not have to setup anything extra. I was also able to bookmark the room for #otalk so I am all setup for subsequent weeks as well. The reply/RT/ and quote system was a little clunky, but the overall setup functioned well for what I needed.
It was great to be able to communicate with OTs all around the world on the topic. Lots of great ideas flying around, it was an exciting OT-geek time. :) The UK group also compiles all the tweets in their blog so you can review things later too. I found the experience to be fairly easy to participate in and well worth the time for the benefit. If you're wondering why you created a twitter account in the first place and would like to really see the benefits of interactions- I would really encourage you to participate in the next #otalk or #occhat you can. If interest spikes, maybe we can do more US versions as well.
Have you participated in an OT twitter chat? What topic would entice you to give it a try?
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