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Twitter 101: Glossary of common terms

Autofollow - Automatically following other users who follow you. This is a setting in Twitter, but tools which integrate with Twitter may also automatically follow other users.

Block – If you don’t want to ever see anything another Twitter user says, you can block them.

Direct Message/DM - Private messages sent to other Twitter users who are following you, and whom you follow.

Follow/Followers/Following – When you want to read what another Twitter user posts, you follow that user. Your followers are all the people who are interested in what you have to say

Hashtags – Hashtags are a word prefaced with a “#” sign. This is used for searching popular topics

OH - An abbreviation for “overheard."

Reply - A tweet that is a public message to another Twitter user. These tweets begin with @.

Retweet/RT – Copying another Twitter user’s tweet and adding the letters “RT” plus their Twitter username.

Trending Topics - popular #hashtags are tracked by Twitter. The more people that use the #hashtag, the high the rating.

Tweeple/Tweeps – Tweeple is a combination of twitter and people, meaning twitter followers. Tweeps is a similar combination of twitter and peeps.

Tweet/Tweeting – What you call a post on Twitter. Tweeting is what you’re doing when you’re writing posts on Twitter.

Twit – nickname for a Twitter user..

URL Shortener – A URL is a web page address. Because of the character limit in Twitter, long URLs are not useful. A URL shortener service redirects your long URL to a much shorter one.Twitter does this automatically.

Other Twitter 101 Sources:

How do I set up a Twitter Account

What is #followfriday on Twitter?

How do I choose a username on Twitter?

Twitter Followers: Should you pay for them?

How can I use Twitter to find a job?

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, Twitter Examiner

Mark Leevan wasn't an early adopter of Twitter, but soon caught the bug and now is an avid tweeter. His fascination with the social impact of 140 character posts continues. @MarkLeevan. Contact by email: MarkLeevan@gmail.com. He also is the Trendy Living Examiner.

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