This counting [...]]]> Have you ever wondered how computers really work? The basic idea is quite simple.  A computer can count up to two.  That’s right!  One, two.  Or, actually, zero, one. This can interpreted as yes/no or light on/light off.  And messages moving at a speed we can’t imagine are being sent to make words, pictures, pages….

This counting to two is called the binary system. That is, adding to the base two. (Our normal numbering system is base 10 – decimal system)

Here’s a video of a wooden adding machine which uses marbles for adding in binary. It is fabulous! And it will help you to understand how binary numbers work. Enjoy!

Have a look here: http://woodgears.ca/marbleadd for more information about the marble adding machine

And if you are interested in woodwork you can find out about other woodwork projects by clicking here: http://woodgears.ca

Avatar: The small photograph of yourself on your Twitter homepage.

Follow: When you choose to add someone to your list of people whose tweets you want to see.

De-Follow:  When you decide to stop following someone on twitter.  On other social network sites it is called ‘defriend’. 

Hashtag. Tagging an individual tweet by using a [...]]]> Tweet:  A message sent via Twitter.

Avatar: The small photograph of yourself on your Twitter homepage.

Follow: When you choose to add someone to your list of people whose tweets you want to see.

De-Follow:  When you decide to stop following someone on twitter.  On other social network sites it is called ‘defriend’. 

Hashtag. Tagging an individual tweet by using a hash in front of the tag.  Hashtags allow you to easily stream a particular subject.

Microblog. Twitter is often referred to as a microblog because it allows people to update their status using only 140 characters.

Mistweet. Accidentally sending a tweet to the wrong person or wishing you didn’t send a particular tweet.

Nudge. A reminder to you to update your status. You can only do this to someone who follows you and who has a device registered with Twitter.

Retweet (RT). This is when you forward a message that you like to your own followers.  It’s a honour to be retweeted. 

Twaffic. The traffic on Twitter.

Tweeple. Twitter users.

Tweeps. Twitter followers who are your friends on multiple social networks. They are your social network peeps or posse.

Tweet Back. Bringing an older tweet back into the conversation

Tweeter. A person who tweets.

Twitosphere. Twitter users or the community of tweeters.

Twitter is a great for marketing and communications and it’s a brilliant way to increase brand awareness. You can use it to drive [...]]]> Twitter is a social networking tool. It’s a way to meet and interact with people all around the world in a simple, quick and easy way. And it is a powerful business tool.

Twitter is a great for marketing and communications and it’s a brilliant way to increase brand awareness. You can use it to drive traffic; for example, if you’ve posted something online, you can tweet your followers and they will know to go and look at your website.  Twitter’s big advantage is that it works in real time, so your followers get to hear about your specials, or your latest news or whatever immediately. It’s faster than the news!

One of the most useful things about Twitter is that the messages you send are limited to 140 characters. This means that your recipients will be able to read your message quickly and respond if they need or want to. They will be able to respond immediately because they won’t need to sit down and read a whole article and they won’t have to wait for tomorrow’s newspaper or the six o’clock news.

Some Tips for Starting Out On Twitter:

Twitter might feel a bit scary to begin with, but it’s actually a friendly place, and the rules are simple. So here’s a few tips to get you started.

1. Anyone who wants to receive your messages, or tweets, is called your ‘follower’. Having lots of followers is great for your business.

2.  Make sure you send a personal note of welcome to each person who starts to follow you.

3. Tweet about what’s important to you and what you’re passionate about.

4. Tweet about things that are of interest to your followers, and to your business contacts.

5. Interact, listen, respond, and care about what people are saying. That will bring you quality followers.

6. Have a clear bio & avatar as this will encourage people to follow you when they know who they are following.

7. When you tweet and someone forwards your tweet to their own followers that’s a re-tweet. A re-tweet is a great compliment. Make sure you leave enough characters at the end of your tweet so that people can re-tweet you.

8. Take it slowly, but do make a step towards using Twitter. Start today by signing up to follow Softpro on Twitter.

In the meantime, you are invited to ask your IT questions here.  Whatever it is – please ask. Just use the comments box below.

Philip