From cave paintings to the Gutenberg press to cell phones, methods of communication are ever evolving. “Social networking” is the latest trend to burst on the scene networking; it includes services such as Facebook, Myspace, text messaging applications and more. The University of Denver is on board, recently establishing a presence on a social networking service called Twitter.
Twitter is about being brief, to-the-point and instantaneous. Sometimes called “micro-blogging,” the service intentionally limits users to shooting off short bursts of information limited to no more than 140 characters.
Anyone can register for Twitter — for free — at www.Twitter.com. Users then can choose to follow everything from news organizations (CNN) to corporations (Southwest Airlines) to personal friends. Once linked up, “followers” automatically get short bursts of information — tweets — which can be read online or even directed to cell phones.
DU can be found at www.Twitter.com/uofdenver.
Jim Berscheidt, associate vice chancellor for University Communications, says Twitter, with some 3 million users and growing, is just another tool for DU to stay connected with the campus community.
“The University is always exploring and embracing new ways to communicate with students, faculty, parents, alumni and anyone interested in the latest news from DU,” Berscheidt says. “Twitter is a great way for us to provide short updates to those groups.”