Tweetchat Participation Instructions

What is Twitter?

A social network that allows users to text and read messages known as tweets.

What is a Twitter chat aka tweetchat?

A means by which Twitter users actively engage each other in a scheduled conversation.

What is a hashtag?

A label used to categorize tweets. Hashtags always start with a pound sign.
e.g. #wakeuptv
Labeling a tweet allows other users interested in a particular subject to follow along with all of the tweets related to that subject.

1. Sign up for a free twitter account (twitter.com)

2. Go to tweetchat.com at the time of the scheduled chat. Or just click this link to automagically get to the right room!

3.Enter hashtag (wakeuptv) at top of page (pound sign is already included)

4. Sign in with twitter user name.

5. Join the conversation! The hashtag will automagically be added to the end of each tweet.

5. If the chat uses a Q&A format, reply to questions using the text box up top. Questions will be numbered Q1, Q2, Q3. Type in your answers starting with A1, A2, A3. Note the counter on the top right of the text box keeping track of characters (tweets can be up to 140 characters including the hashtag which is automagically added to the end of your tweets).
If the chat is a viewing party, feel free to respond to host (@wakeuptvshow) questions or just chat along while watching the show.

You will be able to read responses of other participants as the page will automatically refresh itself at approximately 15 second intervals. The more people attend and tweet into the tweetchat the faster the tweets will fly by.

Do not worry about keeping up. It can get VERY FAST! Answer what you feel like whenever you feel like responding.

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Two features that may be helpful to you. This is not required. However, if you would like to respond to a particular user you can click on this symbol:

Reply – reply to the twitter user

If you like someone’s response and would like to repeat (retweet) it, click on this symbol.
Retweet – repeat a user’s tweet

When you don’t have room to Retweet (because it adds RT @soandso and then the tweet) you can make slight changes to the text without changing the meaning and use MT (modified tweet instead of retweet). There is no MT button, that is manual.

Also, for those of you who like the advanced class – I keep open two twitter windows, one with my own notifications so I can respond to direct comments to me (remember to add the hashtag to those comments) and also one open to our guest and/or host of the night, so I can retweet them.

Get out of your comfort zone and join us for an enlightening virtual discussion. Remember, there is no way to participate incorrectly!

Here are some additional rules of the road (modified from an old article by Janet Foust):

Please help spread the word and let as many people as possible know about the #wakeuptv and ask them to spread the word too.

There is always a host to welcome participants, ask questions and generally keep the conversation on track. The more you participate the faster you will be asked to be a host and/or guest.

When there is a guest answering questions they will be posed by the host or during open Q&A by the participants. We generally open it up at the end for a free for all!

When you join the chat, spend a moment to scan the tweets around the tag. Who is talking? If there is a host or a featured guest what questions have been posted? What is the theme of the chat? Try to answer the questions just as the featured guest does. It helps those on the chat also get to know you.

Feel free to share tweets from within the chat with your network, perhaps by re-tweeting or with comments, but don’t forget to use the hashtag so people can follow along and join in the fun.

Re-tweeting the posts of another user in the chat is a common way to support statements from other tweeters and share them with your own networks
If you ask a question or respond to someone in the chat, use the hashtag so everyone can be in on the conversation.

It’s OK to greet your friends who are participating in the chat with a quick mention, but try to stay on-topic. During the opening “who’s all here” section, chit chat away, welcome newcomers, make friends, this is SOCIAL media after all!

If you have enough space in the tweet to share their post and comment too great, but if there isn’t you can re-tweet their comment intact and then @mention them with your feedback and be sure to use the hashtag #wakeuptv.

It’s acceptable to send a private tweet to someone if it is off the topic of the chat, but try to do it outside of the hashtag so it doesn’t end up in the archive of the chat. Remember, storify archives each chat forever.

If you ask a guest to moderator a question, please stay on topic.

It is not OK (in most cases) to use a tweet chat stream to market your own product or services. Sponsors pay for that privilege and bring great prizes for you. However, there will be times when we open it up and ask who is here and where you are from. When asking the group to share their websites, you can, just only do it at the beginning of the chat and only when the moderator calls for it, otherwise you’ll be perceived as a spammer and we want everyone to come off like a pro!

You might want to let people know you’ll be participating in a chat in advance. Since your usually sparse twitter feed is about to go bananas, this is a nice way to support the host and let your network know you may be a bit noisy during that time.