The Twitter Book,   ISBN:9780596802813

Customer Rating: 

I am a person who is new to Twitter and still a Twitter skeptic. While this book didn't convert me (that wasn't the book's intention) it did a wonderful job of demystifying this new world.

Pros
1. The Twitter Book's strengths are in its brevity and structure. Most topics are covered in one page and it is just enough info to give you a good primer on each topic. From there you can take the tools & links it provides and dig deeper.

2. Clearly explained the lingo and jargon which was extremely help to a casual user like myself.

3. Very timely, all the examples and references are still fresh.

Cons
1. Unfortunately, this book won't age well. Things are changing so fast in the social media world that in another 6-12 months many of the examples and references may seem stale. Let's hope the sales of this version are enough to justify frequent revisions.

In conclusion, give the book a shot, you'll get enough tips and pointers from it to make it worth your while.

Customer Rating: 

I used this to get started as newbie, but with some smarts about communication, and I found this book a marvelous blend of form and function. Every question, big or little, was answered quickly, and I found myself putting unexpected functions to work smoothly. I think this works best for learning-while-twittering, which is what Twitter is all about (and I'm a when-all-else-fails-read-the-manual guy, anyway). The emphasis is on Twitter itself, rather than other platforms like Tweetie or TweetDeck, which I found myself using almost immediately, but getting comfortable with the basic tools was the point I think. I ordered other books on Twitter, and this was the only one I really used.

Customer Rating: 

"Really useful book to get you up to speed on Twitter. Grab this book before you get started, and avoid a lot of wasted time and mistakes. Also, helps you navigate the twitter subculture, so you'll finally understand hashtags, FF, RT, et al."

Customer Rating: 

I love Twitter; I'm an addict. Every time I see a new book about Twitter, it's impossible for me to pass it up. I just have to read the latest inside scoop about this fascinating 140 character phenomenon. The book Tim O'Reilly & Sara Milstein have put together is the most comprehensive book on the subject to date. Literally, everything you need to know (or want to know) is in this particular guide. It's corny, but I'll say it anyway; this is the Twitter Bible.

It's difficult to explain why some people think Twitter is for the birds and why some people think it's the perfect way to mingle with the world. After my first pathetic tweet six months ago, I was hooked. I've had so much fun on Twitter, I often forget to check my stupid e-mails; hey, if you want to engage in a conversation with me, send me a tweet, okay?

For anyone looking to expand their social horizons, for business or pleasure, Twitter is where it's at; and this clever book has all the information you (currently) need to know, to maximize its effectiveness for you.

After you buy the book, follow the authors (@timoreilly & @SarahM); they'll entertain & inform you as well as anyone I know, with the possible exception of @mashable. I wonder when his book is coming out?

Customer Rating: 

I signed up for a Twitter account last December in order to take advantage of a SitePoint PDF book give-away. I really didn't know much about it at the time, just that it was a tool for broadcasting brief messages, but not a spam generator. Since that time I've been hearing terms like `tweet' and `retweet' on the local news and in real-time conversations. However, I still didn't really get it. The Twitter Book, by Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein, to the rescue! They very neatly break down Twitter into easy to digest concepts and features in this O'Reilly publication. The service is explained succinctly in large type on the right page and illustrated by a variety of screen shots on the left page, no information overload.

What is Twitter? Briefly and simply put, it is a communication service. It debuted in March of 2006 as Twttr and a `Big Bang' of users and messages has since followed. Messages sent and received are limited to 140 characters, including spaces. At last, a way to force folks to get to the point, any point! Your messages are public, meaning that everyone on Twitter can see them. So, think before you tweet. You choose whether or not to receive other's messages (called `following'). Messages can be sent and received using a variety of technologies.

From the authors;
`Twitter poses the question, "what are you doing?"
What's Twitter good for?
Breaking news and shared experiences.
Finally, Twitter is emerging as a key business channel ...'

So, what more is there to know? Admittedly, I felt I wasn't quite getting into the `meat' of it by just signing up at twitter.com (accessibletwitter.com for assistive technologies). That's what pages 19 through 231 are all about. For those of us of the not-quite-now-gen, not to worry, you won't think that you're Alice entering Wonderland. However, joining in at Twitterland does involve learning some Twitter jargon and syntax and learning to use shortened vocabulary.

This succinct insight into Twitter is divided into six chapters. Getting Started introduces you to some Twitter basics and key terms. Listen In provides some search skills for finding the `good stuff' to listen in on. Hold Great Conversations is about contributing to conversations using a secure, clear, respectful and helpful approach. Share Information and Ideas presents suggestions for making the most out of those 140 characters messages. Sub-title this section `How to get noticed for being interesting'. There are tips for broadening your audience such as using links to your advantage, posting your picture, the best days to post, get the book for more! Reveal Yourself describes ways to create a sense of `meaningful intimacy'. My favorite suggestions here are `Spiff up your background: Part 1 & Part 2', which are about the visual tweaks you can add to your account page. Lastly is Twitter for Business: Special Considerations and Ideas. The intro page lists links to companies on Twitter and suggests two providers for facilitating internal micro-messages for organization networks. This section builds on everything already discussed and enhances points of particular pertinence to a business setting. It seems to me that being encouraged to communicate in a clear, concise, and uncharged manner (covered in the previous sections of this book) can only enhance an organizations efficiency and effectiveness.

There are gobs of links for extending Twitter functionality and curiosity. You can `tweet up', or to put it another way, organize an in-person gathering using twtvite.com. Follow the most currently popular words or phrases being twittered about. Using a site such as whatthetrend.com gives a quick blurb on why a word is trending. At twopular.com you can view the hottest trends over a variety of time periods. Icons indicate a rise, fall or static standing and for more info, there are links to Twitter Search, Google News and Yahoo! News.

Here are two personal `best pics' that caught this newbie's eye:

(pg 91) Life-changing program #1: Twirl
This is a free desktop appliance that streams tweets with built-in URL shortening and automatic searching for your username in any posts, a very nice interface and great documentation accessed through the twhirl.org website!

(pg 370) Shorten and customize your links with Bit.ly
In addition to shortening URLs this service also tracks click-throughs. And, there's an extension for adding a bit.ly button to the Firefox toolbar!

In Summary:

Do you sense your life twittering into cyberspace? That 140 character limitation does a great job of curtailing excessive and time-consuming posts. However, limiting how many people to follow is up to you. You'll find this brief volume is the best way to get up to speed with Twitter and have some fun with it.