twitter

Introduction

This is a guide intended to show activists how to utilize Twitter.

Overview

Twitter is a microblogging platform on which users make posts, or status updates, known as tweets. A tweet is limited to 140 characters.

On the streets of Chisinau and Tehran, some believe that we played witness to the sheer capacity of Twitter as means to organize and facilitate mass demonstrations and uprisings. While Twitter’s true revolutionary potential remains the subject of great debate, proponents of digital activism tend to embrace such social media platforms as an open forum for discussion, and trumpet its’ users as watchdogs.

Considerations

What to tweet?

What is a retweet (RT)?

What is a hashtag (#)?

How to contact others?

The art of tweeting

Twitter asks users to answer the question‘’What’s happening?”

Activists are encouraged to document their activism-related activities on Twitter.  Aside from networking opportunities, Twitter affords activists a free platform for the promotion of blog posts, cause-based literature, event dates, petitions, protests, etc. 

 

Retweets (RT)

Retweets allow a user to share tweets of others with their followers. As such, a retweet (RT) is simply a tweet that has been shared.  

 

Hashtags (#)

 If a tweet containing a hashtag is sent from a public account, it is possible for anyone who searches for that hashtag to find your tweet.

When tweeting, activists are encouraged to use hashtags extensively. Hashtags will enable other like-minded activists to locate and follow your feed on Twitter.

 

Reaching out to fellow activists

Via Twitter, activists should be able to seek out fellow activists who are also using the microblogging platform. Activists are encouraged to reach out to their counterparts by following their Twitter feeds, contacting them via direct message (d), or publicly addressing them via the @ feature.