On facebook, if you are “friends” with someone, you see what they post.  On Twitter, I can follow you without you following me back. Anyone can tweet text, photos, or links through Twitter.com (or a mobile device).

Twitter at the Diversity Summit

Twitter users at the Diversity Summit will be sharing what they have learned during the summit. Be on the lookout for:

-          Highlights from keynotes & program sessions

-          Links to useful resources shared at the Diversity Summit

-          Conversations about OSU

-          Reflections and learning from each other

How can I see conversations on Twitter?

Diversity Summit tweets will include the hashtag #OSUCARE. A hashtag on Twitter is a keyword making it easy to search for tweets on the topic.

Try it now – load Twitter.com on your web browser (on your laptop or smart phone) and search for #OSUCARE. You’ll see real-time results for conversations around the topic. From there, you can click on links that your colleagues are sharing or click on a username or icon to find out more about that Twitter user. You’ll see more activity with #OSUCARE as the summit approaches.

While on Twitter, you can interact with any tweet – mark it as a favorite, retweet it, or reply to the user.

How Can I Join the Conversation?

Step 1: Visit Twitter.com and sign up for an account.

Step 2: Fill out the profile information. You’ll be asked for a short bio and photo. Feel free to include as much or as little information as you feel comfortable.

Step 3: Start tweeting! Be sure to use the #OSUCARE hashtag so that others will be able to find your tweets. If you choose to “protect your tweets” on the Twitter settings page, only people whom you approve can follow your tweets. They won’t show up publicly in any hashtag conversation.

Step 4: When you see an interesting tweet, click on the user name to open up the user’s profile. Click “follow” if you’d like that user’s tweets to appear on your home page.

If you do not have access to Twitter.com at the Diversity Summit via a laptop, use your phone!

Smart phones: Many Twitter users interact with Twitter using smart phone apps such as the official Twitter app, Seesmic, Echofon, or Tweetdeck.

Phones (without wi-fi or data): Set up a Twitter account, then click on the ‘Mobile’ tab in the settings page. You can connect your cell phone with Twitter, allowing you to post tweets via text messaging. You can’t monitor the backchannel, but you can still tweet #osucare to contribute towards the conversation.

Twitter = Learning + Networking

Once you get familiar with Twitter and you begin to follow several users, you’ll start to see its potential for networking and sharing ideas. Several students in my CSSA cohort utilize Twitter for networking using the hashtag #sagrad to connect with other students in student affairs graduate programs from around the world.

Student affairs professionals on Twitter utilize the hashtag #sachat to discuss issues around student affairs. The Student Affairs Collaborate hosts a chat using the #sachat hashtag weekly, so be sure to check that out. During #sachat, learning and fun are mandatory and all those not learning and having fun will be asked to smile.

During the Diversity Summit, you’re bound to connect with others in different departments, units, and divisions at OSU — social media is a great way to stay connected and build your professional networks!

Tweet Help

If you have any questions related to Twitter or anything mentioned above, please leave a comment below, connect with us via twitter @osucare, or drop us an email at diversity.summit@oregonstate.edu.

Twitter + You

How do you use Twitter? Have you ever used it during a summit/conference? Ever visited the backchannel? Tell us about your experiences in the comments!

This blog post was inspired by @derekbruff’s Prezi, “Twitter 101 for the 2010 POD Network Conference”

Mike Shingle is a graduate student in College Student Services Administration at Oregon State University and Leadership Development Assistant in Student Leadership and Involvement. You can connect with Mike on Twitter.