Learning the Lingo
Curious why your friends have started incorporating hash tags into everyday conversation? You can thank Twitter. Here’s a lowdown on the language.
Tweet: A quick update of your current status in fewer than 140 characters.
Followers: People who are subscribed to your updates.
Following: People whose Twitter updates you receive.
FF (Follow Friday): To recommend other users.
MM (Music Monday): To recommend a song or an artist.
@reply: Replying to a Tweet that someone posted and beginning it with @username (their Twitter name).
DM (Direct Message): Sending a private message to your follower.
RT (ReTweet): Repeat another person’s update to your followers.
Hash Tag (#): When Tweeting something specific, prefix your subject with a # (#MusicMonday, for example). In this instance, people can find all things related to music recommendations.
Trending Topics: Lists the most common phrases appearing in messages and updates.
Tweet-up: A real-world meeting set up by a group of Tweeters.
Twitpic: Photo shared through Twitter.
OH (overheard): When you Tweet something funny you overheard, put “OH” in front of the Tweet.
—Kavitha Sundralingam