In Twitter Twitter Little Star, I explained about the basic uses of Twitter, but since then, I’ve been learning lots of new things. I’m no longer a #tweep and am now a #twitterian, having joined the #500tweetsclub. Soon I’ll be a #tweeting machine.
Let’s take it one at a time. Now tweep can actually mean a few different things. It’s a combination of Twitter and Peeps to start off with. Peeps, I discovered (talk about not knowing ANYTHING) is short for people, but you probably knew that unless you’ve been living in the wrong country for more than 35 years.
But sometimes it can be more specific. One of my followers tweeted to his “peeps and fans“, including me. So I asked him what a peep was: “Ah, well peeps is my definition of people living in Paris and fans are tweeters interested in Paris but not living here :)”. So, I’m his peep. Hmm. He did check it was OK. Not sure what Relationnel will think about it though.
So, now from peep to tweep if you’re still following all this. A tweep is a person you’re following and who’s following you. But it can also be a Twitter user who’s new to the game and hasn’t made many tweets and is therefore the lowest of the low on the Twitter scale. If you’re at the top, you’re a twitterian. You can say, for example, “Thanks to all the tweeps who RT my last tweet” which means “thanks to all the lovely people who retweeted my last tweet”.
From tweep, we move to “tweeple” who are people who use twitter. So peeps and fans are tweeple as well.
A bit more on hashtags.
I received a tweet with #FF which I thought meant Fan Friday but Andrea tells me is Follow Friday (see comment), which is much more logical! This is when you tweet several people at the same time to suggest that they mutually follow each other! Took me a while to work it out. I’m waiting for Friday so I can use it myself! What are your favourite hashtags so I can learn some more and really earn the title of twitterian?
I’ve discovered a couple of new iPhone apps as well. Viber is the first. It’s like What’s App except that you can send text messages AND talk for free to anyone who’s got the same App (iPhone or Android), so long as you have a wifi connection ;
Then there’s instagram. To quote the publisher, it’s “a free, fun, and simple way to make and share gorgeous photos on your iPhone”. I haven’t discovered all the ins and outs yet, but it looks fun. I already use the PhotoShop Express App which makes posting photos on Facebook and Twitter much easier. The photos below demonstrate what you can do with instagram. The second photos are the “sunny” and “black & white” versions.
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I love instagram. I use it all the time when I’m out and about. I’m destinationeu if you want to follow me there.
Regarding #FF. I believe it stands for Follow Friday which is sometimes tweeted as #FollowFriday. It has the same meaning as you said though.
I friend of mine suggested getting Viber but what’s the difference between that and Skype?
Thanks for the Follow Friday! I’ve corrected it. Viber corresponds to people’s phone numbers rather than an internet connection so it’s easier to find people. And they don’t have to accept you first. It also has the same sort of functionality. There may be more subtle differences of course that I don’t know about.
gosh it’s all so confusing but you’re enlightening me well! Learning what everything stands for is going to take time but it’s fun. I’m obviously still the “lowest of the low” but hopefully I’ll pick up a few more followers soon and rise in the ranks….or at least I very much hope I do!!! Keep the tips coming.
I’ll tweet you on Follow Friday (now that I know it’s that and not Fan Friday!).
If you’re looking to pick up followers it helps to participate in Twitter events like #TTOT (Travel Talk on Twitter) on Tuesdays, #BeachThursday on Thursdays, and #FriFotos on Fridays, of course! There are other events too like #TNI, #NUTS and there are some expat ones.
Oh thank you Andrea, I’ll certainly follow them up!
Holy cow, Fraussie!! You are soooo up to date with technology and putting me to shame! My 21 year old daughter was laughing quietly yesterday as I was texting someone…on asking what was so funny, she replied…’I cant believe you still use that old phone..I can HEAR you texting…NO ONE hears texting anymore! ‘ So, if someone who doesnt tweet much is …the lowest of the low scale…what do you call someone who doesnt do it at all????????? Very stagnant I think! I have to get with it!!! Really appreciating these posts 🙂 Jill
I guess that being a technical translator I was forced into learning computer technology early on. When I started out (in 1979!) we had to choose between a dedicated data processing machine (a sort of glorified typewriter) and a PC. Fortunately I chose the PC because the dedicated machines were soon redundant! But I don’t have the “instinct” of the younger generation like Andrea so I’m always delighted when they give me useful information such as #TTOT (see Andrea’s comment). I sometimes feel my head is going to burst with all the things I’ve had to learn for the blog, for instance. Good thing I’ve got Leonardo.
I don’t use Twitter so maybe that makes me a dweeb instead of a tweep! I loved this post despite my complete ignorance regarding the subject. I read it to my husband who uses Twitter and he thought it was well-written and funny!
Thank you! I love the dweeb. Jill, did you hear that – you and Maple Leaf are dweebs! I’ve twittered the question. I’ll tell you if I get any answers! Maple Leaf, I have one for translating that has some interesting things on it. My twitter handle is on my professional website.