Twittertwatter quite useful actually

**jmo21** · 17 December 2010, 15:26

Lots of companies/organisations starting to use Twitter here in the UK.

I recently subscribed to our councils feed and it has been spitting out school closures due to snow, gritting updates, and bin collection updates.

It's been my first stop these busy snow days for road updates as our local radio station has started to use it for weather reports/road reports.

**cojak** · 17 December 2010, 15:29

I've just got an account but not sure where to begin, can anyone point to a Twitter for Idiots blog/site?

**jmo21** · 17 December 2010, 15:53

Here's what NOT to do on twitter.....

**Mich the Tester** · 17 December 2010, 16:20

There's some brilliant stuff on there today if you can read Dutch Twitter

One chap was sitting on the train in A'dam and it didn't leave for ages. Conductor announced there was free coffee for everyone on the platform; everyone got off the train and then it left as they were drinking their free coffee.

One woman complaining she needs a piss and the sprinter train with no bogs has been stood still for an hour.

**realityhack** · 17 December 2010, 16:24

Originally posted by cojak View Post

I've just got an account but not sure where to begin, can anyone point to a Twitter for Idiots blog/site?

This site helps you find out who to follow for chosen topic/theme. Search on a theme, or search Twitter directly for leaders/authors in your field of expertise, then check out their followers, rinse and repeat... pretty soon you'll have built a resource feeding you the latest news & views on that topic. Make a list of these people, then move onto the next topic.

Pete Cashmore & the team over at Mashable have built a guide to Twitter that's probably the most comprehensive.

P.S. I use Twitter almost exclusively for work/trends/topics - and it pays off. I tried following personal commentary but it was 90% fluff and nonsense.

**Mich the Tester** · 17 December 2010, 16:31

More fun; the railway companies start twattering that their website went down due to a fire in the host's emergency generator. Within 2 minutes, the employees of said host are twattering that there hasn't been a fire at all.

Twatter makes lying quite difficult for the people in charge; it's a bit like a realtime wikileaks today.

I really think some firms have to wise up to social media otherwise they're going to end up with egg all over their faces every day.

**Mich the Tester** · 17 December 2010, 16:38

Here's a company that knows how to sell; NH Hoteles Nederland (NHHotelesNL) on Twitter

Put out a twatter saying you've got hotel rooms for 99 euros, hot chocolate and gluhwein right next to a railway station where thousands of people are stranded. At least they're sociable enough to keep the price reasonable; they could have auctioned off the remaining rooms.

**Durbs** · 17 December 2010, 16:39

I didn't get Twitter at all but now i've worked it out, its cool. Viz Top Tips is a must and then just find someone you think is vaguely interesting then look at who THEY follow and it all works from there.

**realityhack** · 17 December 2010, 16:47

WDurbsS

The Daily Mash, Viz and the like are worth a follow. That and our resident HAB.

Twittertwatter quite useful actually