Tips for the Twitter-curious: Come tweet with me?

Hi you.

Apologies if you use a blog-reader and spotted a rather vague draft post which I accidentally published the other day!

I'm afraid that's what happens when I'm squashed up into a corner, using a unfamiliar computer at work ... with a student behind me whose swivel chair keeps banging mine, forcing me to shuffle nearer and nearer the desk ... which leads to me accidentally hitting a key which prematurely publishes my messy brain-emptying process.

I blame students. I suggest you do too - then we can all move on. OK? OK.

But whether or not you saw that draft , let me fill you in on what it is I've been up to. In short, it involves Twitter.

Do you Tweet?

I do.

My username over there is @notesonpaper. But you might already know that. You might already follow me there and vice versa. If not, there's a link to my Twitter profile and a widget with my latest tweets floating over in my sidebars somewhere.

Since I joined up, almost 2 years ago now, I've really fallen for the whole Twitter way of doing things. It's now part of my [almost] daily routine and has brought me more opportunities, friends and enjoyment than you might think possible if you're not already a smitten Twitterer.

I've had lots of comments, here on my blog, in emails and in person, from people who like the idea of it, or feel they 'should' be trying it, but who don't know where to begin. And several times I've mooted the idea of sharing my love of all things tweety by writing up a class full of tips, hints and insights for novice-Tweeters ...

... and now I have!

'Tips for the Twitter-curious' is a free class, starting this coming Monday[January 24th] right here on my blog and running for several weeks.

It will take the form of a mini-series of blog posts - a list of which I will file under the 'Tips for the Twitter-curious' tab beneath my header - for ease of reference.

Plus, for anyone who chooses to take the plunge and set themselves up with a twitter.com account while the class is running, there'll be 'homework' and prompts for interaction over there too.

Here's what you can expect:

• A series of informative posts in which I'll share not only my enthusiasm for Twitter but my experiences of how to get the most from the time you spend there;
• Prompts to get you thinking how you might incorporate Twitter into your existing online time;
• An overview of the language and etiquette used on the site;
• A deeper look into Twitter's practical uses; artistic value and eccentric extras; plus ...
• Tips on how to make Twitter work for you - even in a busy life;

It will be useful to you if:

• you like the idea of Twitter, have thought of signing up, but don't want to be wandering around there on your own;
• you want to hit the ground running with some tips to get the most out of the time you spend on there;
• you want a ready-made network by joining in with other people following my class;
• you want to expand your social networks to promote yourself or your business;
• you have already opened a Twitter account but have rarely used it;
• you don't think Twitter is for you at all - you can't imagine yourself ever Tweeting and can't think of anyone you want to talk to on there.

Can you spot yourself in that list somewhere? If you're one of the last category, I'm going to make a particular effort to convince you to think again!

In Monday's post I'll tell you how we can all keep track of who is joining in - so we can all make some new connections and find fresh inspiration from Twitter.

But it would be great to hear from you before then.

Whether you plan to join-in by:

• signing-up for a Twitter account;
• logging back in to a neglected account; or
• simply reading along to see what it's all about ... .

... you're all equally welcome and I look forward to hearing a variety of your Twitter-based thoughts and comments before we begin.

OK then my 'Twitter-curious' friends, if I don't see you before ... I'll see you on Monday 24th!

Thanks for reading me today.

Julie :-)