Yep, I’ve talked about Twitter before, in fact I talk about it quite a lot… why? Because it is one of the best ways I know to stay in the loop and be part of the conversation.

For those not up to speed, Twitter is a bit like an instant messenger, although instead of sending a message to one person, it’s broadcast to every person who has signed up to follow your updates… you can ask your followers a question about anything and get instant feedback, you can run polls - or you can just keep in touch and join in chatting about the topics being discussed… oh, and you’re limited to only 140 characters per post, so make sure you get to the point quickly!

Here’s an example of what goes on (click for a bigger pic), this is my Twhirl window - Twhirl is a desktop application for Twitter which makes things so much easier to follow and jump into a conversation. I highly recommend using a desktop client over the Twitter website, it’s far more engaging and immediate.

Twitter is a lot of fun, and IMO is the ultimate social network - it’s so easy to stay in touch with a lot of people at once and a great way to let everyone know what you’re doing… even if you don’t think you’re interesting enough, you’d be surprised at what other people like to pick up on. If you’re looking for a sense of community, or just want to keep up with the late breaking news in your field, Twitter could be just what you’re looking for.

Come and follow me @Gamblz.

I’ve mentioned it a little before, but I think everyone has a lot to gain by using Twitter… especially if you like playing poker or winning big at the casinos.

Why?

Twitter is like an early warning system - it’s collective intelligence and it’s a great place to network… it can also be a little noisy and a bit of a time sink if you let it (that’s not necessarily a bad thing though!).

Here’s a great little video made by the guys at CommonCraft that explains exactly what Twitter is and how to use it:

Do you have more of an idea now? The best thing you can do is create a free account and start using it, here’s a few tips to help you make the most out of Twitter:

• Download a desktop client such as Twhirl - you can use Twitter via their website, but you’ll miss out on a lot of the interaction and you need to ‘remember’ to use it… a desktop client makes things 100% easier and is essential to getting the most from Twitter.
• Follow every interesting person you can find - the more ‘relevant’ people you have in your network, the better the information you’ll get. Following more people will create more noise for you to sift through, but you’ll be rewarded with a richer experience.
• If someone follows you, and they seem to have something to say on Twitter, follow them back. It’s always nice to grow your network with mutual contacts and participate in two-way conversations whenever possible.
• Have fun and don’t be afraid to join in on the conversation. Nearly everyone I’ve met on Twitter has been very approachable and more than happy to help out and chat.

Twitter has exploded in popularity over the past few months, and it’s not hard to see why… join now and see what all the fuss is about, follow me on twitter here: @gamblz