Chapter 2: Getting Started with Twitter
In This Chapter
The idea behind Twitter
Setting up your Twitter account
Beginning to tweet
Hooking Twitter into Windows
The revolution will not be televised. It will be tweeted.
In July 2006, an amazing array of developers and entrepreneurs — originally intent on building a podcasting platform called Odeo — unleashed Twitter on an unsuspecting world. Five years on, Twitter has been credited with helping to overthrow totalitarian countries, spread fear and mayhem, aid and abet leaks of embarrassing government documents, shed light on official dirty dealings, establish a rallying point for the Occupy disenfranchised, and let everyone know what Lady Gaga had for breakfast.
That’s quite an accomplishment. As of April 2012, Twitter had 140 million registered users, who send an average of 340 million tweets per day — up about 40 percent from September 2011, more than doubling in size every year.