Before you read this article, get on Twitter. Seriously, do it now. Create a free account, spend 10 minutes finding people you want to follow (I’m there!), and just make the leap. Its fun if you do it right. Now on with the post…
I spend a good chunk of my day on the internet, in fact, let’s just say all of it. As Managing Editor of multiple online publishing sites, spending my hours online is just part of the job. Usually, one of my two screens I have up is displaying Tweetdeck, an application that allows me to stay up to date on a lot of different feeds at once.
And if you're new to Twitter, it is important to know one of Twitter’s key features is the “Re-Tweet”. A re-tweet falls somewhere between the “Like” on Facebook and forwarding a link to all of your friends. It can act as an endorsement, a way to broadcast a response, or just be an easy way to give credit to someone for finding something you like.
Now, I am sure there is a “right” way to retweet someone, but I’ll leave it up to Darren Rovells of the world to judge and enforce those “rules”. To me, the variations in re-tweeting give Twitter a special flavor that you won’t find on Facebook or LinkedIn’s standard white-and-blue-and-like-and-comment steady structure.
For example, you can do…
...The Weird Parenthesis: @KenTremendous
You can have my PB and J when you pry it from my cold dead hands. RT (@VerdantDude) You are an adult...stop eating PB&J sammies.
— Ken Tremendous (@KenTremendous) December 27, 2011
...The “I AM JUST GOING TO YELL AND HOPE THAT DISTINQUISHES MY RESPONSE” - @ESPNSTEINLINE
RT @WhitlockJason: @ESPNSteinLine Kenyon is retired? (AFTER LEAVING CHINA, HE CAN'T SIGN BACK IN NBA 'TIL MARCH. BACK IN THREE MONTHS)
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) December 27, 2011
...The “After an Ellipse” @AdamSchefter
RT @HDDesignz: Why's the Pro Bowl turn into so much of a "who's popular" game? ... You just realized this? Always been that way.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2011
...The “Response and Call” @JonahKeri
Works for every sport RT @wyshynski Officiating in this Wild/Oilers game making the case for robots to replace humans in that capacity.
— jonahkeri (@jonahkeri) December 30, 2011
Personally, I prefer the “Response and Call” version:
Hey hey! RT @mlbtraderumors Cubs Sign Andy Sonnanstine bit.ly/tEj3fe #mlb
— Brett Fuller (@brett_fuller) December 26, 2011
There is a lawlessness of Twitter that makes the service so appealing - everyone gets a voice, every voice is different, and you can choose to listen (or, read) that voice. And if you don't like it? You never need to see anything from that person again with just one click of the “Follow” or “Unfollow” button. It’s the heart of the internet; with the Retweet, credit is given where credit is due in starting a conversation. With most of my tweeting, I'm just glad the conversations are started.
And that, my friends, is just one reason why you need to be on Twitter.