Thank goodness Trisha Torrey, Guide to Patient Empowerment at About.com, changed my mind. While a bit confusing at first, Twitter is a great way to learn new things and meet people with similar veterinary interests. And much more.
While signing up is easy, the influx of messages, or "tweets," can be overwhelming and confusing. At first glance, tweets have a language all of their own. It felt like a club I didn't belong to.
To get started, I read up on Trisha's Twitter Tips. This helped me decipher some of the new mystery language. Then I jumped in and started my own page, the AboutVetMed Twitter page. Here you can see what's new, click to "follow" me (add as a friend) to have updates delivered to your inbox and more.
The trick, and for many, the appeal, of Twitter is that every post, question and answer must be 140 characters or less. In today's information-overload society, this is a great way to have lots of information at a glance.
To get full the message out, most users use tinyurl.com or a similar service to shorten URLs and keep the post within the 140 characters. This way, if it is a topic that interests you, you can click to the full article.
I plan to use Twitter to announce what I am working on, solicit questions and opinions, and stay on top of the latest pet news.
Please consider this your invitation to join and stay in touch with me, AboutVetMed on Twitter. Join in the conversation.
Check out the other About.com Pet Guides on Twitter:
We will be working together to keep you informed about your pet's health and what's new on the About.com pet sites.
- Cats - Twitter page: @FrannyCats
- Dogs - Twitter page: @AboutDogs
- Freshwater Aquariums - Twitter page: @FishyDance
- Horses - Twitter page: @kblocksdorf
Related Reading:
Twitter for Medical Professionals
from Andrea Santiago, Guide to Health Careers
About.com Health Guides on Twitter
from Trisha Torrey, Guide to Patient Empowerment
