To ask for info on Twitter (technophobe alert)?

[Oldisthenewblack]

To ask how Twitter works? I just joined as I wanted to see what it was all about, but now I'm still confused. What do people tweet about? Why? Twitter gave me three suggestions of who to follow, one of which was Ant&Dec. No. I don't know what I'm on Twitter for, but it's not to trail about after those two.

How can Twitter enhance my life?

Don't judge me, I don't get out much and t'internet is my friend.

I'll never join Facebook though

You can try following a few people and organisations. If their tweets turn out to be boring or boorish, just unfollow them. It can take a bit of 'trial and error' to find the good stuff.

It's also great for complaining to companies!

If you find someone interesting, you can look to see who they follow. It might give you some ideas.

I use it all the time. I post any old nonsense really.

I explain it like a notice board in a busy hall way. Everyone has their own notice board and posts notes about anything they think about.
You can decide that you want to look at someones board and that is when you follow them. If you really like what someone else has posted then you can add it to your board too by retweeting it. Anyone can look at your board and you can look at anyone else's.

If everyone is posting notes about the same topic then they can add a hashtag which joins all those posts together on another notice board.

Yes to complaining about companies! DH has used it to complain to EE several times and I've complained to the local bus company about buses that never turn up on time and are routinely 15 minutes late at 7am!

Best way to get started is to go in the profile of someone you know or like and copy who they are following.

And tweet witty and amusing stuff using #hashtags so you can chat with others on the same topic and hopefully get retweets/favourites and people will start following YOU.

The other way to think about it is that Facebook is people you went to school with, Twitter is people you wish you went to school with.

Seems a bit one sided - I always seem to just see the reply to a conversation - it's like being on the edge of the crowd of cool kids - so I can't drum up much enthusiasm myself.

Keep going back to see if it's better though.

Keep going.
Just say stuff. I find the best way to start is to comment on a popular TV program or event using a hashtag. I've started following loads of people that way.

Oh that's great Oldisthebewblack. Not the illness obviously! Wouldn't it be funny if we had the same?

I thought twitter was just an abbreviated Facebook, but I can see now how it differs.

It isn't like FB.
I use my real name, but not my surname. Recently I have started to use my photo, but I didn't to start with.
I had 10 followers for the first 4 years, but now that I understand it I am approaching 1000 followers.

I have M.E., louisaglasson - it's great fun. If that's not your illness, you really should try it, you know, just for a change. I think I'll start twittering, I mean tweeting, about being permanently knackered and achey. I'll have millions of followers in no time....or maybe not.

This thread is great, I'm getting loads of ideas! Thank you all

I was put onto twitter by a thread on Mumsnet. A poster said she used it for business which I thought was odd an barely believable, but I went ahead.

I got my last two jobs at least partly as a result of the combination of people and stuff I discovered (business stuff) on twitter and my own tweets and retweets.

It has a million uses - I follow lots of local twitter feeds to find out what's on too.

No, a rare cancer! But the fatigue and pains are familiar friends. Don't try it though and don't be jealous but I get to glow in the dark and set airport and shop alarms off . I have a card to show if it happens. Maybe my first hash tag could be #lookwhatimanagedtoshoplift. Not that I'd get away with it my face reveals everything.

Did you ever have a thought you didnt say? - Twitter.
Ooh, look at that! - Instagram.

Follow me!

I use Twitter! Took me about 3 years to be comfortable with it and I prefer I over FB now. I use it to share/participate in my photography stuff, talk about the DC's, chronic illness ...anything really! If you want to look up people tweeting about that, your ME - try searching with the hashtags #ME #ChronicLife #Spoonie

Well I've gone for it and now have a Twitter account. I'm following quite a few famous people. I don't think I'll be tweeting myself for a while. I need to build up the courage to do that!

Pipbin - I tried doing that a year or so ago but the hashtag I followed was related to some kind of death gangsta rap! Disconcerting when all you want to do is follow #gbbo!

I'll be honest, I don't know how to follow hashtags.

Louisa - at the image of you fluorescing your way through customs!

Make your profile picture be SOMETHING other than the default egg.

Anything will do.

Maybe posters who are game can post their tweet handles for the OP to share? (or pm)

Good idea, though can't fathom out how to PM via my phone, so will keep trying.

Nice sites to follow:

Life on earth - cute pictures of animals and stunning scenery shots

Faces in things - amusing pictures of, well, faces in things

The Poke - amusing alternative humour, a bit laddish

Standard Issue - cool magazine with links to interesting articles

I follow 120 sites/people at the minute, from Denis Skinner to the PM, from Viz to Good Housekeeping. Just search for people/things you like and click to follow them.

As others have said, Twitter is good to keep up to date for things you are actually interested in, rather than looking at photos of children belonging to people you went to school with but didn't actually like, unlike Facebook!

I'll be honest, I don't know how to follow hashtags.
For something like Bake Off I would follow the channel and they will often have a hashtag that they like.
Look at the BBC One Tweet I have pictured here.
If I click on the hashtag then it comes up with all the posts that have included that hashtag.