Twitter instructional

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Updated Aug 31, 2012

If you’re not sure whether the correct term is “Tweeting” or “Twittering,” perhaps you should read my next several posts about Twitter. This phenomenon – yes, I think it’s deserving of that word – began in 2006. Some of the first tweets read “how does this work?” and “what’s the point?”, and many of us wonder those things six years later. Below are instructions for how to sign up for Twitter. Upcoming topics: Twitter privacy; Twitter lingo; Twitter for networking.

On a computer

1. Go to https://twitter.com/.

Twitter.comTwitter.com

2. Look for “New to Twitter? Sign up.”

3. Enter your name and email address

4. Choose a password. As with passwords for your other online accounts, keep it confidential and as cryptic as possible. So, for example, do not choose BobBrown if that’s your name. A mixture of numbers and letters, lowercase and uppercase, should do the trick. Also, Twitter will alert you as you type if your password is too short, not secure enough or just fine.

Twitter.comTwitter.com

5. Uncheck the boxes below the Password field according to your preferences. If you often use a public computer, you should uncheck the first one so that the computer will not save your username and password. Uncheck the second box if you don’t want Twitter to make suggestions based on your browsing history. (Not quite sure what all this means? Uncheck both to be safe.)

6. Read the privacy policy, and click “Create my account.”

7. You’ll be sent to a page where you can complete a Twitter tutorial. Do this to find some Twitter accounts to “follow” and to set up your profile. You can skip any or all of these steps by finding “Skip this step” or closing the window.

8. You’ll get an email from Twitter prompting you to confirm your new account. Do this, and you’re ready to get started using Twitter.

If you have a smartphone or tablet

You can download the Twitter app using your smartphone/tablet’s app store. For ease of use, sign up for your account on a computer before trying to use the app. That’s not to say it’s impossible to sign up on your phone, but if you’re around a computer, follow the instructions above.

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Enjoy, and please contact me at [email protected] with your questions, instructional requests or feedback.