The Thursday, April 2, 2009 The Loquitur article Twitter: New online networking epidemic by News Editor Liz Garrett, outlines benefits to professional and recreational uses of Twitter.  

How to Start:

1.  Go to http://www.twitter.com

2.  Click "Get Started-Join!"

3.  Fill in the required information

4.  Use the automatic pop-up "friend finder" to search for people on Twitter by their e-mail address

5.  Use the links on the top right of the screen to edit the appearance of your account, search for others, or post your own Tweet

Tips:

 - Keep it professional:  There are many education, business, human resources, and public relations accounts.  All organizations have the ability to follow your tweets.  Filling your posts with good information about your interest or knowledge of the field or posting your scholarly achievements can help create network opportunities.

- Use links:  Try to link to other information.  If you created a project, make a wiki page on www.pbwiki.com, and then provide the link to all of your Twitter connections.

- Keep a balance:  Do not over-use or under-use your account.  Make your presence known, but large organizations do not need to know your thoughts on waking up, eating breakfast, brushing your teeth, running late to class, etc.