I know why the caged bird...um...Tweets.

Since I'm the only person I know *in person* who uses Twitter on a fairly regular basis, I've been asked at least once for a mini tutorial type of thing. There are endless numbers of sites now offering tutorials and "suggestions" on how to use Twitter. I don't think there are any real hard and fast rules or a truly right or wrong way to use it, so this post is just an overview based on how I have come to understand how Twitter works. Personally, I see it more as a marketing tool than as a means of real communication. I don't know if it has longevity, but I'm enjoying the novelty of it right now, at least, and I've made some interesting connections using it. Anything that allows me to internet-stalk some of my favorite authors (and other interesting folks) with their permission can't be all bad, right?

So here we go...

Common functions include:

-The direct reply, which is @username and then your message (keeping in mind that the 140 character limit will include the characters for the @ and the username). In order to respond to another user, always use the @username to begin the post. In replying to something someone esle posted, you can use the reply function (shows as a little arrow icon to the right of any other user's posts).

-The DM (which is a direct message that only you or the person you are sending the DM to can see - the equivalent of private messaging). DMs are limited to 160 characters.

-The "Re-Tweet", which is most often abbreviated as RT - this is reposting a Tweet from someone else. Some people instead of the RT attribute a post to another user by denoting it (via @username) after the body of the post, especially if they are just reposting a link.

-The Delete function. I use this when I misspell or have a grammar SNAFU. It can be done using the trash can icon to the right of the post. You can only delete your posts, not anyone else's.

-The Favorite function. This is the little star next to other people's posts, and if you really like a post, you can save it as a favorite by clicking the star.

-Blocking and Unfollowing. Unfollowing is for those you followed who you thought were interesting and clever at one point, only to discover that it is a fine line between witty and obnoxious. Blocking is for those who fond you but that you don't have any interest in having "follow" your Twitter activity - this list includes profiles solely set up to pitch a product or someone's poorly designed marketing or personal finance website, spammers, and the inevitable pornbots offering "adult content". Sure, all of them add to your follower count, and any new followers that look genuine I'll check out...but anything that indicates "XXX" anything, or seems to be following me based on a random keyword search, or looks like it's just being used to sell someone's attept at marketing the unmarketable, will get blocked.

Other only slightly useful tips:

Unless you want constant updates from all of the profiles that you follow (especially if you choose to follow people who update constantly), turn your mobile device settings off. There are also sites (such as Twittersnooze) that will allow you to temporarily block another user's posts from showing up in your feed for a period of time, instead of depending on an endless unfollow/follow cycle.

With Twitter now the new hot thing among people who like to catch a trend after it has already peaked, there are a million different sites offering various apps and other things to help you use your Twitter account and manage your feed. I don't really use them, myself, but you can find some of these widgets and apps at the bottom of your feed page by clicking the "goodies" link. You can also find some using Google (a couple of the most popular would be TweetDeck and TwitPic), but I say use the unaffiliated sites with some caution.

This is the Fail Whale - what you'll see when Twitter's servers get overwhelmed by the mad crush of marketing-spam, pornbot and fake celebrity profiles:


Questions? Confusion? Just hate the whole concept of Twitter and want to rail against it? Get thee to the comments, then!

Because anger is so effective

My boss just assigned me another project that is "urgent", needs to be done "ASAP" and will interrupt my normal lunch hour, for the second time this week. And now my husband, who I normally go to lunch with, is annoyed. I've explained to him countless times now that with the raise comes even more expectation of responsibility and accountability. He doesn't care. He wants to be angry. So I have to let him go ahead and be unreasonably angry. Of course, this project is basically a ridiculously wasteful re-do of something that was requested of me by my boss earlier in the month - the original request involving poor planning and a missed deadline, and I'm not sure that the way they are trying to do this is very appropriate. But my job is not to speculate about the appropriateness of what I've been asked to do. It is just to do. I was told by my boss today that it is not up to me to have an opinion on what is being asked, just to confirm or deny that it is financially possible. So, basically, I am supposed to keep my yap shut when those around me do everything they can to subvert processes and waste money and generally act like they don't have a brain.

Harry Potter and the Seemingly Endless Movie Franchise

I saw this summary of Half Blood Prince today - I think that it speaks for some of what M and myself were thinking coming out of the theater last night:

-No battle at the end.

-No foreshadowing re: the tiara

-No funeral.

-No Bill & Fleur. (I don't agree with this one because I don't care about these characters)

-Not enough Fred & George. (This. A thousand times this!)

-No lessons with Snape.

-No "advice" from Snape to Harry at the end.

-No Harry paralyzed & invisible while Dumbledore gets it.

-No in-depth history of Tom and his family.

Just so much dropped, altered, or forgotten from the book in order to make room for the bad jokes and Ron's girlfriend (Too. Much. Snogging! Ugh!)

But I have to add that the Inferi weren't *nearly* as creepy as they could (or should) have been.

Keeping with my theme...these videos are made of win and awesome (warning - may contain high levels of screechy fangirl hysteria):

Please note the ripped trousers

I had a frustrating day today. Got annoyed several times. Got angry more than once. Had probably my third McDonald's Mocha since last week, because they actually make decent coffee. Broke my diet with chocolate chip cookies (yes, I'm kind of on a diet). And I'll get to wake up tomorrow and do this all over again. And again.

There are renewed plans to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince at the end of the week.

And now I'm eating Zapp's spicy Tobasco chips, drinking the soda I brought back from vacation, and watching Deadliest Catch, which amounts to heaven right about now.

Whatever works...

There was an article in the local paper this week about our problem with panhandlers, which has caused some sort of inexplicable moral outrage that people would dare make a living asking for handouts from strangers. One guy who was interviewed said he can make about $800 a week. Wake up people: there will always be those who will take advantage of your generosity, your naivite, your guilt. There will always be those who don't do their fair share, and are more than happy to take a part of yours. There will always be those who work the system. This does not negate the realities of those who genuinely need any help a person is willing to give, be it charity or sympany or just a little human decency. Always remember "But for the Grace of God go I", regardless of whether you're even a religiously inclined person or not. The universe has a way of knocking us down a peg or two when we start thinking we're better than the circumstances other people find themselves in.