Real Time Show Jumping Updates with EquestriSol on Twitter!
By Erna Adelson
For our readers that are not yet familiar with the latest way to get mobile, instantaneous updates from your favorite news sources, celebrity gossip, and your friends, welcome to Twitter.
Twitter is a service that allows a user to answer the question “What are you doing?” by sending 140 character updates from a mobile phone or the web. These messages, called Tweets, are visible to everyone “following” that user and appear the moment that they are posted. This service has quickly revolutionized the way that the media operates and has transformed social interactions globally. While some may have mixed feelings—we know, Twittering does conjure the image of a tech-obsessed teenager—rest assured that there are plenty of practical applications for this tool, especially in the highly mobile, intricately connected show jumping world.
Using Twitter, EquestriSol will now be able to bring results and updates from the West Coast’s most prestigious horse shows (and who knows where else) the minute that they are posted. Followers will also be able to see news updates, receive reports, know when hot sale prospects are on the market – all this from just about anywhere.
How?
If you haven’t already, check out EquestriSol’s Twitter page. Go to twitter.com/equestrisol. This is your source! Now, follow—and join the conversation. Start your own personal soapbox by signing up for an account at twitter.com, and tweet something about what you’re doing at that moment. We also love feedback! And we will try to respond.
Twetiquette: Twicks of the Twade (sorry, couldn’t resist)
Twitter has quickly formed its own social etiquette, known to Twitter Peeps (Tweeps) as Twetiquette. Twetiquette allows a network of followers to more easily find the information that they want, prevents potentially harmful posts, and assures that the source of information is credible.
Hashtags:
Hashtags are part of a system that makes finding information on Twitter easier. By marking keywords with the # symbol, users help people searching Twitter find related tweets in one convenient list. EquestriSol will use hashtags to indicate the event we are presently attending (#WorldCup09 for this year’s World Cup).
For example, a tweet from the upcoming World Cup might look like this:
equestrisol: Bond fast and clean in Round 1, Harley Brown in the ring now! #WorldCup09
If you want to get a list of all tweets about the 2009 World Cup, simply search for the tagged term at search.twitter.com. To pass the info along to your followers, you can Re-Tweet (RT) by crediting and copying the original source. For example:
HorseShowFan: RT @equestrisol: Bond fast and clean in Round 1, Harley Brown in the ring now! #WorldCup09
In Twetiquette, re-tweeting is a major compliment, so RT @equestrisol anytime.
Some other useful equine enthusiasts and news sources you may want to follow:
@USHorseman @EquestrianLife.com
@salehorses @ChronofHorse
@theequinest @TrotonTV
Finally, once you’ve signed up and add the appropriate app (TwitterBerry or TinyTwitter for the BlackBerry, Tweetie or Twitterfon for iPhones, and Twidroid or TwitterRide for Android mobiles), then tweet and # from wherever you are. See you in the Twittersphere…