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Basically, Twitter is a cross between a blogging service, instant messaging application and social network. Users "twit" short (160-word max) messages. Other users that are "following" that user read and can respond to those messages. Some users have big, public-style Twitter lists; others have a small group of friends or colleagues they converse with using the service.
Who wants to read someone's random thoughts for the day?
Well isn't that what they said about blogs too? Now blogs are a crucial part of the Web as well as the media and marketing worlds.
How do you get started with Twitter?
Visit Twitter.com and sign-up with a user name. One of the most difficult things with Twitter is knowing where to start. Follow the public stream to get an idea about the service and follow a few friends or public "twit" feeds to get started. And throw your own "twits" into the void. To take the next step, integrate your Twitter handle into your email signature, your blog or Web site and your social network sites. Watch it grow and see how best to use it.
Want to learn more about Twitter?
Learn about the evolution of the service from toy to tool: The Rise of Twitter as a Platform For Serious Discourse
And this list offers a good place to find Twitter clients that let you access the service from a widget or standalone application rather than the Twitter.com Web site.
Finally, if Twitter interests you but you want to check out some alternatives, consider Pownce, Jaiku, Seesmic("video" twitter) and Utterz ("audio" twitter) as well as the just-announced Prologue, which integrates twitter-functionality into Movable Type blogs.
