Twitter

Brief Description:

More of a communications tool than a mechanism for dialogue, twitter can nonetheless be an engaging and informal way of staying in touch with large numbers of people. Twitter has been used in public engagement events to let people who can't be in the room know what is going on, and to update participants on what happens afterwards.

Description:

Twitter is a service for people to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

It offers people the opportunity to follow others' activities or update others on what they are up to.

Used For:

Twitter is an informal communication tool that helps friends, families and colleagues stay in touch. Much like blogs, it is increasinly used by organisations and public figures to keep their networks informed of what they are working on and thinking about.

Twitter has been used in public engagement events to let people who can't be in the room know what is going on, and to update people on what happens afterwards. It can also be used to let participants comment on the event and communicate with others.

Suitable participants:

If twitter is set up on computers in the room of a public engagement event, it should be useable for any participant with basic computer literacy.

Cost:

The service is free, although it requires computers and internet connection.

Time Requirements:

Minimal: messages are no longer than 140 characters.

When To Use / What It Can Deliver:

Twitter is best used as a complement to public engagement activities and can be an appealing addition to conferences and young people's events. It makes it possible to quickly and easily send updates to people who are not in attendance. It can also be an engaging way of letting participants comment on the event and communicate with each other.

When Not To Use / What It Cannot Deliver:

Twitter is an informal communication tool and thus not appropriate in all circumstances. It does not offer the opportunity to gather in-depth feedback from people; it is simply a way of keeping them informed.

Strengths:

Its informality and the shortness of the messages makes twitter a low-cost and low-effort way of staying in touch with potentially large numbers of people.

Weaknesses:

Only individuals who are signed up to twitter and who choose to follow the twitter stream can read the messages that are sent.

Origin:

San Fransisco, USA

Case Studies:

Related Methods

Restrictions In Use

Further Information

www.twitter.com

Popular Methods

21st Century Town Meeting

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