Cool new website all my friends should use
If I got a nickel every time I told my friends they should use a website because I thought it would be a better way to keep in touch than actually keeping in touch, I could satisfy my coffee habit for at least a couple days.
The latest installment in that enterprise is Twitter. It’s really not obvious how it works at all, so I’ll break it down.
- Sweet Dick Willie says “Let it be broke”
- You go get an account
- You add me as your friend
- I probably reciprocate
- You decide how you want to get twitter updates. They can either be IM’ed to you from the twitter account or sent as SMS messages to your phone (or email but gawd email is SOOO 2005).
- I go to Twitter’s website and drop a note about what I’m doing (like “trying to get Nico to sign up for twitter”) - this gets sent to you (on your phone, over IM, email) because you’re following what I’m up to.
- You send a similar message or SMS it to 40404 (the place twitter uses for messages) and I get it because I’m following what you’re up to
Easy right? I’m guessing this works best when lots of friends are on it (and when you all have an unlimited SMS plan!), which is why I’m saying you should sign up and add me as your friend 
Howard said,
August 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am
You should thank me for showing you just how fun and interesting Twitter can be.
Eva said,
August 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am
Sounds fun and interesting… but what if I don’t want to get 500 SMS per day?
Patrick said,
August 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am
Thanks!
I’d already signed up but yes, Howard, you did show me how interesting it could be. How lonely it’s become in Seattle without weekly updates of your adventures in food poisoning! Eva - what’s the matter with you *not* wanting 500 SMS a day? Well, if you really don’t want that many, you could just be-friend someone and then send messages like “follow slipperyp” and “leave slipperyp” (at least I *think* this is right) to turn updates on or off for me (or “off” to turn all updates off or “leave all” to temporarily leave all your friends). There are more commands in their documentation but these seem like the ones I thought I’d most want to know.
Adam said,
August 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am
twitter–
After getting an SMS after 11pm about brushing your teeth and one this morning about the dog in the shower, I learned real quick how to disable messages to my mobile device.
Patrick said,
August 18, 2007 @ 12:00 am
Ha ha
I was really sort of trying out the delivery hours thing - I think I have a handle on it now and promise to send fewer messages that are so insanely mundane.