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Posts Tagged ‘Followers’

How to ReTweet to Grow Your Influence & Followers

September 30th, 2010 by Admin | 3 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

ReTweets are a great way to grow the influence of your Twitter stream. This goes for both the ReTweet (RT) you give others and those others give you.  I hold that the Retweets that grow a stream’s influence and followers the most are the ones we give, although it is assumed it is the ones we get.

The key word above is “influence”. In one way or another we are all going through life somewhat influencing one another, in person and via social media. Human beings are by nature, all influencers from birth.

Babies, almost from the moment that they are born, interact and attempt to gain what they want. Babies have a message, which may vary from time to time depending on what the baby wants or wishes to do at the moment.

On Twitter every tweet seeks to have some sort of influence. Our Twitter streams can be understood as our own unique micro-blogging channels. This is true for companies, and the rest of us who seek to connect and share in various ways.

Content is Primary

Like radio and TV channels, we each need content for our Twitter channels. My Tweets tend to be about art (including introducing my Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art and theory, plus free art events in museums and news from the art world), the brain (and how to use it better especially in relation to vision and emotional freedom), tolerance, spirituality, social media, and also I can be uplifting, inspiring or funny.

Also, I  am helpful and give tips re social media, pitch in an emergency (from phishing to a news item such as an earthquake when tweets have relayed vital info to the people involved as other forms of communication were compromised) and enjoy celebrating shared events like holidays or honoring someone who contributed greatly to society and has passed away.

When someone tweets something that fits what I want to share, the kind of influence that I want to have, it is like getting a free show for my micro-blogging channel.  A tweet worth ReTweeting is a kind of gift of free content.

Here is an example that wonderfully fit my Twitter channel that I sent out recently: “RT @succezstwittey When everything seems to be going against u, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it. – Henry Ford #quote”

I chose this example as up until my above RT, I had not interacted with this follower, who I follow back. This member is not a celebrity or a known high ranked twitterer, but it was a swell Tweet that I grabbed up and gratefully ReTweeted to my other followers to also inspire them.

Thanking People for a ReTweet?

Many people thank the people who RT them. I always think that I should be thanking the people I RT for the good free content..

Before I had 30,000 followers I went along with thanking people in the stream for RTing me.  When I had 30,000 followers it dawned on me that whatever I said could possibly be seen by that many people and a stream filled with Thank You’s is kind sweet but soon rather dull. Besides, it had begun to feel more like bragging that I’d been ReTweeted.

So instead, I try to ReTweet people who Retweet me. Often I RT whatever I said that was RTed. On a good, short quote, we’ve reached as many as six tweeters in a row on one Tweet. That is a lot of fun!

I will also troll the stream of someone who RTed me, looking for content to ReTweet that will benefit my followers. A RT back is better that a Thank You. However, I must find something worth tweeting and sometimes I do not, or I find it months later. That is OK, as any relationship is built over time.

Endorsements and Testimonials

I also just about always ReTweet someone who RT’s a link to my blog or articles, web sites, videos, free e book, free webinars or anything that helps me get my basic visual inspirational and life changing message known. These tweets are a kind of testimonial. Plus, I tend to think that my followers must to some degree like me or be interested in me and what I have to say. Of course, I want to introduce them to other people who like what I have to say: my followers!  In face-to-face life, I tend to introduce friends to one another, too.

ReTweet Followers

Since I follow back all followers (except for very explicitly sexual accounts who I block), I tend to only ReTweet people who follow me. I like to promote my friends, and if someone, including a company, museum or celebrity cannot be bothered to follow me back, even if I previously gave them a RT, the content of their Tweet has got to be stupendous for me to ReTweet it and give them free advertising.

Stupendous does happen. Here are a few examples and exceptions when I reTweet non-followers.

The first exception is current events news media like CNN, the New York Times, BBC, etc.  They tend not to follow back but do provide pertinent information about breaking news that I sometimes share for the good of my followers. However, with magazines and papers dying and becoming smaller, I have noticed that some of the wisest reporters and media are following people back. Local news is most likely to follow back and this is a smart way to gain tips.

The second exception concerns social media news, especially if it involves Twitter and is an urgent or a helpful update. Being a good Twitizen and ReTweeting important data, especially as it involves Twitter seems to produce more followers. For instance, when there were attacks via phishers I reported that as I want my followers to stay safe. ReTweeting a recognized social media authority who had the best, most helpful story gives can be useful for my followers. This falls within my channel’s ongoing sharing of tips and helpful information about social media, which also includes this article. Plus, I usually follow everyone who ReTweets these helpful tweets, especially during an attack, and they are also good Twitizens, and the kind of people I want for friends

Know Thy ReTweet

I strongly suggest that if you want to grow your Twitter influence you only ReTweet information and especially links that you have personally checked out and endorse for your followers as if this is your own stuff. This builds trust and influence.

  • Never RT a link, even from a source you trust, like a news source, unless you have personally checked it out and read the article.
  • Never Retweet a link – even your own link without first testing it to make sure that it still works.

ReTweet for the Good of Your Channel (followers) not as Favor for a Friend or Follower

Since I heartily endorse and believe in follow/follow relationships I get followed by some spammers who send me DMs with links that I never open and simply delete. People, including non-spammers, send me DMs asking me to ReTweet their causes, blogs and also business news or products. Usually I hardly know these people, but sometimes these are people I consider Twitter friends. About one in ten people offers to reciprocate and RT something for me once also. This is a silly deal to offer anyone unless you have more followers that they do, and most of these offers come from people who have not cleared the 2000 followers hurdle yet.

When a Twitter member (channel) accepts paid advertising or quid pro quo arrangements, or tweets things that are really not fully and personally endorsed it substantially decreases that Tweeter’s influence.  If someone’s friendship with me is based on favors, then it is OK to lose that follower as I would prefer to keep the trust that I have built with my other Twitter friends.

ReTweeting Celebrities

People follow celebrities because they can—they want to feel closer to someone they admire.

I am most likely to ReTweet what is said by celebrities who follow me back, when it fits my channel and is good information for my followers.

Since it is enjoyable for my followers, I will ReTweet a celebrity who hosts a fun event on Social Media, like @aplusk did via Ustream when he had the charity contest with @kingsthings (Larry King) to see who would be first to have one million followers.

I will also ReTweet information, especially a good quote from a celebrity who says something inspiring that I want to share with my followers. Since people admire and even trust celebrities, this can help me spread inspiring and uplifting ideas. I will also RT something that is side-splitting funny – but I am a sucker for side-splitting funny from anyone.

Some people, usually newbies or people who have not reached voting age, RT celebrities simply because they admire the celebrity. Generally this does not increase influence or trust with anyone old enough to vote

Make your ReTweet Policy re DMs Known in the Stream

People sometimes take things personally, especially if they believe someone is a friend. However, being a friend on and off of Twitter does not include doing anything that a friend requests, even when it seems easy to do.  A ReTweet is actually an easy one click process, but as discussed above, it can have consequences that will erode trust and followers.

In the public Twitter stream make your ReTweet DM policy known about once every month or two if you have one.

I make it known that I never RT anything sent in a DM including info from people I consider Twitter buddies. I also DM back people I have chatted with in the stream who have sent me unrequested DMs asking for a ReTweet that this is my policy. I am only going to RT what is in the public Twitter stream – unless I have specifically requested the info and a link to be sent to me via a DM, which occasionally I have done in relation to a charity or art event I wanted to share.

Have Fun!

Social Media is a conversation that is fun or at least interesting enough to take time away from other pursuits.

We are each the CEO of our Twitter stream. We are the ones who decide what content we Tweet, including ReTweet just as the head of a TV, radio, magazine or newspaper decides what information is conveyed through their channel.

A ReTweet puts free content on your channel, which is a kind of a gift to you as long as that content is about something you really endorse, which includes ideas and articles that you have found useful. This kind of RT will build trust and gain you followers and even RT’s if others also find it useful.

So if you found this article helpful RT the Tweet with the link that brought you here. Or, Tweet about it yourself to help your followers!

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How to Really Gain Free Followers on Twitter

June 11th, 2010 by Admin | 9 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

Most people on Twitter want more followers. Followers are the people we communicate to or with and no one wants to talk to a blank wall.

There are good ways and scams, or unsuccessful ways to gain followers, even quickly. Unfortunately good people, especially those new to Twitter fall for the scams.

Like an adolescent experiencing a sudden acne breakout, Twitter goes through eruptions of Tweets that promise more Twitter followers.

Some of these “Free Followers”  sites seem to advise their customers to follow people like me — who follow back –and then once we do follow back to unfollow us immediately.  What these sites fail to tell their customers is that this behavior will only result in their being unfollowed, resulting in a loss of time and effort. Plus, some of us in the follow back group are now only following back people who do not have some version of the free followers message in their Twitter stream, as these people do not want a Twitter relationship or experience, just a notch in their belt. Who wants to be part of the body count?

These followers can come at a cost or be free, except that one must tweet the ads of the site that promises these followers.

What’s the Catch?

There are several catches to these schemes. How many catches varies by site and the reason(s) why a person who subscribes to the site wants followers in the first place.

Let’s assume that you want more people to follow you as this will give you a larger group of people to share your ideas and products to. Assuming that you have ideas worth sharing that people do and will benefit from this is a good goal. The people with the most followers on Twitter, including celebrities make it interesting and even fun for people to follow them.

This goal means that you want real, live and active followers. It is impossible to rally share with a robot, spammer or fake twitter account, because no one is reading Tweets.

Many of the schemes that promise Twitter followers involve fake or faux followers. These are accounts that are set up by one person or a group that exist for the purpose of following and spamming people with sales messages for products that they promote via tweets that are paid advertisements or affiliate sales messages. A site can promise you 100+ of these followers since all of these Twitter ID’s actually are set up, owned and run by the creator of the site. This may enhance one’s follower count, but will quickly downgrade your Twitter experience as these fake accounts spam you.

Another Scam that Can End Up With Great Results for All

Other sites and schemes offer lists of people who follow back. These reciprocal followers are also called Mutuals. The idea is that since Mutuals reciprocate and follow back, by following them one quickly gains followers.

I am well known as a Mutual who follows back. My Twitter ID, @judyrey is on most of these lists. If you think following people who follow you back works for you – and basically I highly recommend it—then this will work as a way to meet some interesting and often interactive Twitter people. Beware that some of these site also include spammer accounts that are setup to follow back but basically belong in the robot group mentioned above.

When a Twitter member follows me, or someone else who generally reciprocates with a follow, we both get a new follower who can become a friend and ally over time. An initial follow is a “Hello!”, not really a great commitment as anyone can easily unfollow.

The scam part happens when people follow a mutual with the mistaken idea that they will soon unfollow and somehow keep their new follower. This is a kind of bait and switch scam.

I do not know of any Twitter Mutuals who do not eventually unfollow people who unfollow them. Many unfollow and even block these scammers– and if they are spammers report them to @spam.

Along the line of Mutuals there are sites where a person can sign up to follow the people listed on the site and then become listed on the site oneself. This is not actual reciprocity of following but reciprocity of the number of people one follows from the site.

Since Twitter is a free site and service many people join, follow people and then disappear for days, months or even forever without closing their accounts. If these people have set their accounts to automatically follow back they can end up making the follow back lists and sites as Mutuals.

TIP:

If you are really interested in live people with active accounts then always look to see the date or time of a person’s last Tweet before you follow initiate a follow. By only initiating follows for people who have tweeted within the past day strengthens your odds of relating to an active Twitter account. Of course, the content of what the person Tweeted is also a factor in selecting people to follow.

Real Live Followers are Not Slaves

No one can give real live people to you as followers, nor can you buy them. This idea is nonsense unless slavery exists.

Of course, I suppose people could be paid to follow other people, but who hires an audience? Why would you want this?

Actual followers—people who want to see your Tweets and follow your links to articles and images — are real people just like you. And, just like you they deserve to be treated politely with respect. Probably, like you, they are worth the time to follow and to some degree get to know.

The best and easiest way to gain more followers is to reach out and follow people. Since you can always unfollow anyone, there is no risk to this. However, you probably want to change your settings so people only sent those thank you’s for the follow to your Direct Messages (DMs) and not your email also.

Use Wefollow.com and lists to discover interesting people to follow. If you follow people you especially like check out their lists to find interesting people to follow. Also follow people they recommend on Follow Friday. Many of these people will follow you back.

Perhaps my best piece of advice regarding gaining more followers, is to be your true self—the person you intrinsically are “meant” to be. Be authentic.

If you make a mistake, acknowledge it (I call myself the Tpyo Queen), but move on. Do not try to please others to gain followers.

As an artist I basically deal with art and inspiration, but verge off to other things that interest me, including social media, resulting in this blog. Tweet about what interest you, what you want to share to encourage, entertain, inform, inspire or even enlighten your followers. Some of this will be ReTweeted (RT) and will also gain you followers.

The Best Real Free Followers

The best real free followers are the people who actually read your Tweets and benefit from following you. This can involve interaction, but not always.

I am the kind of follower I would like most to have. I guess this is sort of a way to do onto others…As a follower, I lurk my Twitter stream, do read and follow links, but may not RT or comment on everyone I find that benefits or interests me. I RT based on whether the information will benefit my followers, not based on whether it will benefit the person who originated the tweet. However, except for news sources, I tend to basically RT the people who follow me.

Followers like me are free to gain. These followers are free to come, free to go, free to stay, interact and become friends. These are the best free followers.

Some people believe that having more people follow them than they follow somehow proves they are important. I figure that since I am interesting, and an artist founding a 21st Century theory of Post Conceptual Art, anyone who finds me interesting is probably pretty smart and interesting—thus someone I could learn from so I remain relevant and interesting myself. I am much happier swimming freely, even among bigger fish in an ocean, than being the biggest minnow in a teacup.

Happy, safe and fulfilling tweeting!

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How to Deal with Thank You’s in Twitter DMs – both Sending and Receiving

September 3rd, 2009 by Admin | 32 Comments | Filed in Social Media & Media

This is the story of my early days on Twitter, how I discovered my Direct Messages (DMs) and why I never send a thank you to a new follower via one, plus how I deal with the messages I receive that may thank me for a follow.

When I first became active on Twitter, during the last few days of October 2008, I quickly followed about 1000 people. I knew one person on Twitter so I sent him my one and only message until a few days later, and then followed the two people he followed, then the people they followed, then the people the followed… until I found someone who had about 20,000 followers and I then began to follow people who were following over 1000 people.

From the beginning, I was more interested in following than being followed.

I find people interesting, often surprisingly wonderful and I can learn from others. I already know the stuff I know.

Suddenly my email was filled with messages from people I was newly following on Twitter. At first this was fun. Then it became a tiresome chore as I answered each one. I was even checking out links!

I sat back and happily watched my stream for about three days until I saw a message about something on Twitter called a DM. One of my earliest messages, since I was watching not tweeting, was to ask what a DM was. I put the question out generally as I had no idea how to reply or ReTweet.

That is how I discovered my DMs. Or, as I refer to it today, my Dratted Messages of Spam.

Dratted Messages of Spam

As I waded through over a hundred messages, wondering which ones I’d seen and answered and if any were new, I noticed that over two thirds contained links. Since I am polite it seemed important to answer each person, even those who did not follow back.

Less than a year ago the situation in my DMs was easier to manage as bots were sending an individual’s messages, but the hucksters had not caught on to setting up dummy accounts and getting unsuspecting members to spew there offerings of games, “free gifts”, amazing ways to get 500 new followers daily sent by people who have under 500 followers, and other …well, stuff that is junk to me.

However, there were some very nice people sending simple thank you’s for a follow. There still are. Some of those thanks you’s are not automated.

I wondered if I should send thank you for the follow DMs too? It seemed like a lot of work as I still did not know of automated services on Twitter. What to do?

I had discovered @ChrisBrogan, who was and is one of the wisest and best Social Media advisers I know. I scanned through all my DMs, which I had not deleted as I thought they might come in handy somehow – and I did not have a DM from Chris. No DMs thinking me for a follow from any of the good Social Media advisers I knew or even those who had many followers.

I believe I scrolled through Chris Brogan’s (@ChrisBrogan ) web site looking to find advice. I may even have figured out how to reply to someone in order to ask his advice. I wanted to be polite to the people who had decided to follow me, which was then about 150, but I was looking to get out of writing 150 more emails!

What I discovered is that none of the people who are great social media advisers send DMs when someone follows them. I followed their lead. It has been very successful for me.

To date, I have only sent one DM for a follow, which was a heartfelt message without a link to a celebrity musician I admire. Soon after that he unfollowed me.

When someone follows me, I follow back. A follow is a kind of “Hello”. I do not use an automated service to do it so I can see their avatar, the most recent Tweet and even check out the profile page. I often check out links to websites after we are tweeting in the stream. Is easy to follow back as we can always unfollow.

When I meet someone and say “Hi” I never hope for a thank you , just a “Hi” back. Same goes for a follow. I have never wondered why someone I followed did not thank me, but I have wondered why they chose not to follow me back if our interests are obviously related. Oh, well…

How I Handle DMs that thank me for a follow

I read but immediately delete all DMs that include a link in the thank you but follow me back — except if the link is from a fellow visual artist, writer, filmmaker or musician who is clearly not sending an automated or buy-my-stuff message. Those are the only links that I will check. I may even respond.

I immediately unfollow everyone who sends a spammy link but fails to follow me back.

I do this very quickly before they have a chance to catch up with the speed of their automated message and follow me back. I also delete the message.

I do try to respond back via DMs usually to those who send a thank you without a link.

People who mention my art and website or Tweets—showing that the message is not automated will generally get a reply.

People who use True Twit validation service have a strong chance of my unfollowing them.

If they have a nice smiling avatar and seem really new to Twitter I may follow the link and fill out the captcha, but I’m wondering if this person is worth following since they can’t be bothered to simply check out my stream and follower count themselves.

True Twit is a service that people subscribe to in order to make sure they do not follow back spammers. While the idea is good, since it is an automated service that also sends an automated message, I find it annoying although ironic. Even more ironic is that when one follows the link True Twit is pitching there service. So in essence it a kind of spammy link that the unsuspecting True Twit subscribers are sending automatically to DMs.

The simple way for anyone to check if a follower or someone you’re considering following is not a spammer, but interesting to you is to look at their stream. Plus, anyone with over 5,000 followers is probably not a spammer.

Yet, the need for someone to check out who is real to follow back exists. Probably some clever VA’s will step on and provide this service, which cannot be done by a bot. Or True Twit will figure out a way to validate accounts of recognized good Twitterers so those people never see or get the DM with the link to True Twit again.

Some of the True Twit users do just also follow back, but their automated message arrives in my DMs anyway. Those who do not manage to figure out that I am real and use no bots on Twitter I simply unfollow after a few days so that I can follow others who want a relationship.

I hang in with people have not followed back but send the bot message in DMs, “You can join the discussion by sending a message to @ “mytwitterID.”

This is a really dumb message that newbies are duped into sending by some bot service. This message infers that the follower is not already joining in discussions, which is dumb, because they did manage to find the sender to follow.

But, I was a newbie once, so now I wait a period of three days. If the newbie has not followed back, I unfollow. I might continue to follow if the Tweets were really interesting, funny or informative, but so far this has not happened. What we had potentially going was some relationship and that involves two way communications.

Next

OK. Now you know how I handle thank you’s regarding DMs.

Follow me, I’m @judyrey . I will follow you back—and you know I won’t DM you with a thank you or link. I never send an unrequested shortened link in a DM.

And importantly, next it’s your turn.

Voice your opinions and ideas in the comments below. What works for you? What do you agree with or like? What do you do differently? Several of my blogs re Twitter have become a kind of ongoing discussion, which benefits the community.

Please do include your Twitter ID in the body of your comment so people can follow you!

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How Using Twitter Increases Intelligence

March 18th, 2009 by Admin | 13 Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

Why being active on Twitter is like can be like playing brain games to increase awareness, perception and intelligence

Among the Social Media sites Twitter stands out as unique for its short 140 Tweets (micro blogs) and totally visual presentation. While other social media sites rush to incorporate video, music, groups, games, and other applications, Twitter execs keep plodding along ignoring possible competition and just being twitter. Twitter is all sight, no sound, no video, and as its screen based so smell or taste – just messages with 140 characters.

According to Wikipedia : “Intelligence (also called intellect ) is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn.”

Recent scientific discoveries in neuroscience have shown that a healthy human brain can continue to grow, by adding more connections and even mass throughout one’s lifetime. People can actually gain intelligence. What makes the difference is how one uses one’s brain on an ongoing basis. Stimulated, challenged and learning brains grow.

Spending time interacting on Twitter on an ongoing basis can foster growth in many kinds of intelligence.

Spatial, Visual and Kinetic Intelligence

Twitter is the most immediately interactive of all the major social media sites. Whether a person uses Twitter straight from the web (my personal favorite) or uses apps to break the streams up, such as TweetDeck , the stream continues to roll by. Blink and one may miss important information or a link, a great joke –or a comment in a fascinating conversation between other members.

Much like forms of instant messaging and chat, people hold real time conversations on Twitter. However, as the stream keeps moving the Twitter member must make quick decisions as whether and what to reply. This means that the type of viewing Twitter requires is not passive, but active and engaged. This is the type of viewing most aware and best suitable for learning.

Messaging back brings in the tactile or kinetic component as the Twitterer must use a keyboard and mouse quickly to message or copy and ReTweet (RT) someone’s message as the stream keeps relentlessly rolling along with new messages. While doing this many Twitters, have a second Twitter screen open to keep an eye out for other messages pertinent to the conversation while quickly composing one’s own reply.

This quick back and forth finding, reviewing and responding to several visual sources of scrolling information promotes greater skill with spatial, visual and kinetic (the typing) information. In a way this visually mirrors actively participating in a sport where one must follow a moving target, ball or player, access the situation and then take action in response.

Enhanced Creativity

Every great artist knows the luxury of rules and limits. Constraints foster creativity, as one seeks to get around them or at least transform them through one’s choices.

The Twitter rule of 140 characters per Tweet fosters creativity. One’s best idea or comment must be condensed to 140 characters and if one is in a conversation this must happen quickly. Plus if the message has a chance of being RTed and going viral, the maximum it can be is 128 characters. This extra shortening leaves space for one’s own Twitter ID, such as mine, @judyrey, plus the letters RT and a space.

The 140 character rule has prompted many creative abbreviations and terms within the Twitter community. For instance, the hashtag (#) sign is used to congregate messages on a topic, such as #pray4 or the most popular one, #TCOT (Top Conservatives On Twitter). Using a site such as http://search.twitter.com or http://tweetchat.com one can follow the separate # conversation much like a chat room.

While Twitter also incorporates texting abbreviations, terms, apps and many hash tag abbreviations are subset of English unique to Twitter, which fosters language learning skills.

Interpersonal and Emotional Intelligence

Twitter is a social site that fosters relationships. Aside from the celebrities and gurus who are followed for obvious reasons, the people who have the most followers often follow back and busily interact and build relationships. Just as in any real village, people who are popular are helpful, interested in other people, fun and busily interacting with others.

In order to explain #TCOT above, I turned to the Twitter stream at about 2 AM EDT on a Sunday evening and asked, “ What does #TCOT actually stand for T C O T? Needed for an apolitical blog article on Twitter & how it can promote intelligence.”

Within a minute I had five replies. When I Direct Messaged the people who replied asking permission to use their account ID’s in this article four immediately replied, while the fifth seemed to have stopped tweeting for the evening. In alphabetical order credit goes to @Bass_ @eMarv @you_count @vanityfairer and @AngelaVCampbell for being helpful, knowledgeable and demonstrating how Twitter helps bring people together and fosters relationships.

What is interesting is that I have not had any or much of a relationship with these specific Twitter members prior to asking this question. Partially, this is due to the time I asked it. Yet a reply came in from another member I have conversed with asking that I tell her answer to what TCOT is as she has wondered also.

As the information flowed in the stream as I publicly thanked those who replied, members who follow me and were present saw the interaction from my side and were introduced to the IDs of these Tweople.

No one in the Twitter village drives a really fancy vehicle, lives in a mansion, dresses well, or has any real world trappings that can impress someone. It’s impossible to show any of that in the stream. Everyone is reduced to using 140 characters, one avatar (which can be changed, but only one at a time), plus one bio page and URL link; that’s all, there is no visible gold, glitter or bling.

Tweets enter into the stream in an orderly fashion on a first come first served real time way. It is impossible to out shout, shove or bully anyone in the stream. Each tweet is just as loud and has the same space and visual importance as any other. Whatever one’s race, sex or creed, everyone gets a chance and is accorded the same space.

People who have a victim or nasty attitude soon either change their ways or discover that they have few followers and few people who are willing to engage in conversation with them. Their messages are not RTed.

Although there’s no body language and the only Twitter visual aids are each user’s avatar and whatever is used for a background on their Twitter Bio page, after a while people one follows become easier to read. It is a process that takes time. This can be a social learning lesson for those who tend to rush into relationships full steam. On Twitter it’s easy to spot obsessive behavior—even one’s own.

Everyone can easily see who follows who and how many people follow each member. Moreover, every single message tweeted is kept in a log of updates, which is also open to every other Twitter member. Thus, Twitter naturally fosters transparency.

Since the majority of conversations must occur in the stream as Twitter has limits for the number of direct messages allowed we witness each other’s behavior. The people who are successful on Twitter, who use it to foster relationships, including ones for business are opening doing their thing. Anyone can learn how to interact, spot phonies and users by watching and participating on Twitter.

Using TweetDeck type applications means a person may have three or more streams moving simultaneously as one interacts in several conversations on different topics with different members of the Twitter village at the same time. It’s a visual and metal juggling act that top Twitters with many followers who follow back many have learned to do well.

In prior generations men and women hunted for game, watching for movement or searched for food to gather. Visually Twitter supplies some of our natural need or enjoyment for spying out discoveries or even prey.

Visual and Logical Intelligence

Thus just following the Twitter stream forces a person to concentrate, skim relevant information, and make quick appropriate choices as to what links to follow, bookmark for a later time (by using a favorites star) or ignore.

This is the type of information sorting teachers try to instill when explaining how to take outline notes – only on Twitter the information seems more relevant than classroom learning ever did. Increasing one’s recognition of what is important and what is less so is a way to directly increase functional intelligence.

Twitter for Learning

Like a book, Twitter lacks sound, and so mimics a streamed book current life in its stream of ongoing Tweets.

Many of the Tweets contain links to articles that range from fast breaking news to arcane knowledge. Information can be found on health, childrearing, business, investing, the arts, religion, self help, books, and of courses how to use Twitter. At times Hanging out on Twitter can seem like a stroll through a library where links in Tweets are book titles.

Using Twitter to Increase Intelligence is Fun!

Studies in neuroscience continue to indicate the benefits of mental challenges, especially those that involve the perception of vision, socializing and social networks, hand eye coordination exercises, etc.

Twitter can be so much fun and so interesting that it has not been noticed as a brain enhancing tool. Brain enhancement was not the purpose or goal of Twitter’s founders, but Twitter definitely succeeds at it when a member uses it to interact and build community. Community is what sets Twitter apart from other brain enhancing programs on the web as on Twitter one is never alone.

Judy Rey Wasserman is the founder of Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art theotry at http://ungravenimage.com. Discover how this new way of painting using symbols for strokes can actually change your vision by adding visual memories we noramlly lack to your brain. This in turn has an amzing and freeing effect in realtion to unwanted, negative and reative emotions. See more at http://artofseeingthedivine.com.

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