Just wanted to (finally) let you all know about our Finance Trends Twitter page. You may have already noticed the new Twitter update links in our sidebar column; I'll use this post to briefly explain (a) what Twitter is and (b) what you'll find at my Twitter site.
Quick explanation of what Twitter is about, for the uninitiated: Twitter is basically an open text messaging system that lets you share your thoughts with the world. You can also think of it as a micro-blogging service with a 140 character limit on each message, or, "tweet" (see example tweet below).
Anyone can read public Twitter messages or "tweets", but you must sign up if you wish to follow or communicate with other Twitter users. By following other Twitter users and encouraging others to follow your own tweets, you can create a network of friends and followers based on dovetailing interests ("hey, he trades stocks and surfs too!") or any criteria you like.
I've actually found Twitter to be a great source for gathering real-time information and reaction to news and events. It's also a wonderful tool for getting in touch with others who share similar interests and are talking about/doing similar things.
For example, some of my fellow market bloggers on Twitter are Maoxian, John Carney, Prieur at Investment Postcards, Toni at Prudent Investor, and Jay from Market Folly.
I've also joined Stocktwits, a community for investors and traders built on the Twitter platform, and exchanged brief thoughts and market-related links with others in the Stocktwits stream. Active traders and beginning traders alike use Stocktwits to exchange trading ideas and market commentary in real-time.
If you visit the Finance Trends Twitter page, you'll find added links and market commentary (including info "retweeted" from other users), as well as my conversations with other Twitter users and some occasional blog-focused or personal updates. Again, it's a great way to share quick bits of info (including items that don't show up here on the blog) and connect with new and interesting people.
To help new users get into the swing of things, I've added a couple of helpful Twitter video tutorials in the related articles section below. Hope to see you there!
Related articles and posts:
1. How to use Twitter - Howcast via YouTube.
2. Getting started with Twitter - CNET video via Impossible Dreams.