Networking with Twitter, Part 1

Networking with Twitter, Part 1 Using Twitter and Easy Chirp Presented by Dennis Lembrée for the Hadley School for the Blind March 14, 2012 1

Agenda∗ About Me ∗ Tools∗ Twitter Background, Stats & ∗ Search, lists, trends, links Factoids ∗ Future Plans∗ Signing Up ∗ Feedback∗ Why Easy Chirp? ∗ Other Accessible Twitter Apps∗ Navigation ∗ Next Session∗ Basics ∗ Questions? ∗ Status & Timeline, Mentions, ∗ Contact Info Replies, Retweets, Favorites, DM, Hash Tags 2

About Me∗ Author of Easy Chirp∗ Author of Web Axe∗ Day job at PayPal∗ Also worked for Ford, Google & Disney and a few start-ups∗ Live in Cupertino, CA with wife and 2 boys 3

Twitter Background∗ Originates from "daylong brainstorming session" held by board members of the podcasting company Odeo.∗ Twitter started in July 2006. ∗ Jack Dorsey @jack ∗ Biz Stone @biz ∗ Evan Williams @ev∗ Started as SMS service to send short messages within a group. 4

Twitter Stats∗ February 2012 ∗ 175 million tweets per day ∗ While the USA leads the way, Twitter is also popular in Brazil, Japan and the UK. ∗ Twitter’s most-followed user, Lady Gaga, has nearly 20 million followers (then Justin Bieber, Katy Perry). ∗ 64 percent of users access Twitter via Twitter.com. ∗ 11 accounts created every second. 5

Twitter Factoids∗ Originally named Twttr, a name inspired by Flickr.∗ The name of bird in logo is “Larry the Bird” named after Boston Celtic’s basketball legend Larry Bird.∗ Twitter’s infamous "fail whale" error message image created by Yiying Lu, an artist and a designer in Sydney, Australia. 6

Signing Up∗ Must sign up on Twitter’s website.∗ https://twitter.com/signup 7

Signing Up∗ Choosing account name (AKA username, handle) ∗ Short ∗ Memorable ∗ Identifies you/your business ∗ Avoid special characters 8

Signing Up∗ Some rules from Twitter:∗ Impersonation: You may not impersonate others through the Twitter service in a manner that does or is intended to mislead, confuse, or deceive others.∗ Trademark: We reserve the right to reclaim user names on behalf of businesses or individuals that hold legal claim or trademark on those user names. Accounts using business names and/or logos to mislead others will be permanently suspended.∗ Privacy: You may not publish or post other peoples private and confidential information, such as credit card numbers, street address or Social Security/National Identity numbers, without their express authorization and permission. 9

Signing Up∗ Rules continued:∗ Violence and Threats: You may not publish or post direct, specific threats of violence against others.∗ Username Squatting: You may not engage in username squatting. Accounts that are inactive for more than 6 months may also be removed without further notice.∗ Selling user names: You may not buy or sell Twitter usernames.∗ No Spam.∗ No Pornography. 10

Why Easy Chirp?∗ Accessible (screen readers, keyboard, etc.)∗ Robust ∗ IE6, low-band, Lynx, no JS, original Kindle, etc.∗ Supports all main features∗ Easy to use!∗ Awards ∗ AFB 2011 Access Award ∗ RNIB Featured Website, December 2011 11

Navigation∗ Signing in ∗ Use “Sign in with Twitter” button. ∗ Under “Sign In” heading. ∗ Besides “skip to main content”, home page has “skip to sign in” link. ∗ Uses “open authentication” which requires approval of account access from Twitter’s website. 12

Navigation ∗ <h1>Easy Chirp∗ Headings ∗ <h2>My Info ∗ Each tweet contains H3 ∗ <h2>Menu ∗ <h3>Go to User of username. ∗ <h3>App Menu ∗ <h3>Tweet Menu ∗ <h2>Whats happening? ∗ <h3>My latest tweet: ∗ <h3>Shorten URL ∗ <h2>Timeline ∗ <h3>account name ∗ <h3>account name ∗ <h3>account name ∗ <h2>Footer 13

Navigation∗ ARIA Landmarks ∗ banner ∗ navigation (main menu) ∗ main ∗ navigation (pagination) ∗ contentinfo 14

Basics: Status & Timeline∗ The Status is the core of Twitter. ∗ Also known as Tweet. ∗ Short text-based message. ∗ Must be less than 140 characters. ∗ All tweets are public (unless account marked private in user settings). ∗ “What are you doing?” to “What’s happening?” to nothing. ∗ Similar to Facebook status (or wall post) or LinkedIn update. 15

Basics: Status & Timeline∗ Create status in Easy Chirp ∗ Status text field is labeled “What’s happening?” ∗ Character counter contains ARIA (originally a Flash- WAV-JS widget). ∗ aria-live=“polite" ∗ URL Shortener (bit.ly & weba.im) ∗ “Tweet about Easy Chirp” shortcut. ∗ From Timeline, My Tweets, Mentions pages. 16

Basics: Status & Timeline∗ Timeline is list of status messages from accounts you are following. ∗ Friends – accounts you are following. ∗ Followers – accounts following you. ∗ One-to-many relationship, rather than one-to-one in Facebook and LinkedIn. 17

Basics: Status & Timeline∗ Each Status in Timeline has: ∗ Tweet text ∗ Username ∗ Links to Timeline, DM, tweet message (mention) ∗ Tweet options ∗ Favorite, reply, reply-to-all, quote tweet, retweet. ∗ Date/time which links to single-tweet page. ∗ Name of originating app. 18

Basics: Mentions∗ When someone puts your @username in a tweet.∗ Why? ∗ Directing tweet to you. ∗ Gives credit for work. ∗ Gives credit for a tweet. ∗ Asking you/others a question. ∗ Copies you with info. /cc∗ Where the real “social” part takes place. 19

Basics: Replies∗ A reply is similar to a mention, but the tweet is marked as a response to your tweet.∗ How reply is displayed to user depends on the app.∗ A reply to you must contain your @username (usually first in tweet). 20

Basics: Replies∗ In Easy Chirp: ∗ Reply to a tweet by clicking the “Reply” icon link. ∗ A reply tweet contains a “Responding” link at end (after name of app used). ∗ Visually, grey arrow displayed on right. ∗ Clicking “Responding” link will display original tweet below, inline. ∗ aria-live="assertive“ ∗ When no JS, taken to new page with original tweet. 21

Basics: Replies∗ Reply appears in a user’s timeline only if a user follows both the sender and receiver. ∗ When writing reply, insert “.” in front of username to ensure all your followers see the reply in their timeline.∗ Replies linked together creates a “conversation”.∗ Easy Chirp also offers a reply-to-all feature. 22

Basics: Retweets∗ A Retweet (RT) is when you copy another person’s tweet. ∗ Cannot be modified.∗ Quote Tweet/Classic RT ∗ Copied tweet which can be modified. ∗ Was the norm before Twitter launched the current retweet method. 23

Basics: Retweets∗ For quote tweets, use… ∗ RT when text virtually same. ∗ MT when text modified slightly. ∗ Via or HT when text modified considerably. ∗ Some apps insert quotation marks around the tweet instead of these acronyms. 24

Basics: Retweets∗ In Easy Chirp: ∗ Retweet a tweet by clicking the “Re-Tweet” icon link. ∗ Retweets display a Retweet link at end of tweet info (after name of app used). ∗ Visually, 2 angled arrows displayed on right. ∗ Clicking the Retweet link will go to new page displaying only the original tweet.∗ No special treatment for quote tweets. 25

Basics: Favorites∗ A Favorite is a tweet marked as a favorite; to save to view at a later time.∗ Favorites are public. ∗ Although less used/known/implemented.∗ To create/remove favorite in an app, usually toggle a control in app, many times a star icon. 26

Basics: Favorites∗ In Easy Chirp: ∗ You may toggle favorite with star icon. ∗ Alt text is “Make Favorite” and changes to “Processing” then to “Remove Favorite” when it’s marked. ∗ Without JS, works with full page refresh. ∗ View on Favorites page. 27

Basics: DM∗ DM stands for Direct Message.∗ Private message, also < 140 characters.∗ Can only send DM to your followers.∗ To send: ∗ DM functionality in app tool. ∗ In status: d + username + message∗ Be careful not to send DM as regular tweet! 28

Basics: DM∗ Easy Chirp’s DM page: ∗ Help text at beginning. ∗ Send DM section. ∗ Listings ∗ Inbox (Messages I Received) ∗ Sent (Message I Sent) ∗ Delete included in options under each message. 29

Basics: Hash Tags∗ For #keyword search.∗ Clicking #hashtag takes you to Search Results page. 30

Tools: Search∗ Search (tweets) ∗ Hints table∗ Saved searches∗ Search users 31

Tools: Lists∗ Special group of accounts.∗ Easy Chirp’s Lists page: ∗ Create ∗ My Lists ∗ View members and subscribers ∗ Add members ∗ Edit settings ∗ View on Twitter ∗ Subscribed Lists ∗ View members and subscribers ∗ View on Twitter ∗ Unsubscribe 32

Tools: Lists∗ To subscribe: ∗ Go a user Profile page. ∗ Click Lists at bottom of page. ∗ Click “Subscribe” link under desired list. ∗ List names are H4. 33

Tools: Trends∗ Most popular topics on Twitter.∗ Daily and weekly.∗ From Twitter.∗ Currently has bug. 34

Tools: Links∗ Current 15 popular links.∗ Categories: ∗ All ∗ News ∗ Images ∗ Video∗ Data from TweetMeme. 35

Future Plans∗ Error handling for Trends data.∗ Re-implement functionality to add image to tweet.∗ Enhance List functionality with Ajax.∗ Add inline notice and update of new tweets.∗ Display if a user is following you.∗ Quick way to report a spammer account.∗ Ability to view full URL of a shortened link. 36

Giving Feedback∗ Email info@easychirp.com∗ @EasyChirp∗ Current tasks list on home page. 37

Other Accessible Twitter Apps∗ The Qube (code fork of Qwitter) ∗ Desktop client specifically for screen readers ∗ http://www.quartzprojects.co.uk/∗ Twit-Monger (code fork of Qwitter) ∗ Desktop client specifically for screen readers ∗ http://twitmonger.shaned.net/ 38

Other Accessible Twitter Apps∗ TwInbox (previously McTwit) ∗ Plug-in for MS Outlook ∗ Costly, proprietary ∗ http://techhit.com/TwInbox/∗ YoruFukurou (NightOwl) ∗ Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later ∗ http://sites.google.com/site/yorufukurou/home-en 39

Other Accessible Twitter Apps∗ TweetList ∗ iPhone ∗ http://zooble.com/tweetlist∗ Slandr, Dabr, Tweete ∗ Mobile site, web-based ∗ http://m.slandr.net/ ∗ http://m.dabr.co.uk/ ∗ http://m.tweete.net/ 40

Next Session∗ Part 2: Twitter for Your Small Business ∗ Writing a great tweet. ∗ Tweet ideas. ∗ Using hash tags and lists. ∗ Strategies. ∗ What not to do. 41

Questions? 42

Contact Info∗ Web Sites ∗ www.EasyChirp.com ∗ WebAxe.blogspot.com ∗ www.DennisLembree.com∗ Twitter Accounts ∗ @EasyChirp ∗ @WebAxe ∗ @DennisL∗ SlideShare ∗ www.slideshare.net/webaxe/presentations 43

Networking with Twitter, Part 1

by Web Axe

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