Twitter is a micro blogging platform that allows people around the world to communicate instantly, about anything, for free. The catch - you get only 140 characters to do it in. And you need to get followers if you want anyone to listen to you.

Once you sign up for a Twitter account, you select a Twitter Name and get presented with the One Big Existential Question: "What are you doing?"

You fill that out in 140 characters, hit Update, and poof - you've made your first tweet. In seconds, your message is sent around the world.

What's the Point of 140 Characters?

There are great benefits to communicating in 140 characters or less. For one thing, it cuts all the fat that normally exists in personal conversation. In this crazy busy world, it's a real bonus to say what you need to say in a tightly focused burst. And it's a boon to our overly swamped email inboxes to scan a quick question or comment and move on.

Once you start tweeting you'll surprised at how much you can actually communicate in the short space you're given.

What Can I Tweet About?

Anything that crosses your mind can become a tweet. You can tell people what you are actually doing. You can make a to do list for your day, or discussed what you accomplished. Talk about politics, the news, the environment, or your mother in law. Talk about the latest episode of Heroes while you watch it. Ask the world a general question and see what people say in response.

Everything is fair game. And if you are interesting enough, people will find you and follow you.

What is a Follower?

I will describe how to get followers in another article, but for the basics of getting started in Twitterland, you need to have some people to tweet to, or else you're really just talking to yourself.

A "follower" on Twitter is someone who has decided to read your tweets. This person clicked the Follow button on your profile page. They can now send you messages (using the @reply feature) in response to your tweets. Finding people to follow, and having them follow you, is part of what makes Twitter such fun.

Who Should I Follow?

You should follow people you know and people with similar interests. It's up to you to decide how many people you want to follow. I'd advise starting slowly at first with friends, adding other people that you find interesting (use the Twitter Search feature to check profiles). You can also follow back anyone who follows you (but you don't have to).

Get a feel for how Twitter works and what the culture is like before deciding to follow the world! Twitter is a very addictive program once you get going. Start small and feel your way around first. According to the Wikipedia, there are more than 3 million people using Twitter. That's a whole lot of talking.

Why Should I Bother with Twitter?

Reasons for using Twitter vary among users. Some use Twitter to promote their businesses, blogs or personal brands. Some use it to keep track of friends' activities, to reach out and make new friends, or to find out what the world is up to. I found out about earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires and even Sarah Palin becoming McCain's running mate, all on Twitter.

Some use it merely because Twitter is a fun place to hang out. You can find all kinds of people with the same interests as yourself. Many people have even met in person after "meeting" at Twitter.

I await the first announcement of a couple getting married after meeting on Twitter. And it would not surprise me at all to find someone tweeting while giving birth - leading to a new, future age of Twitter babies. Via Twitter, we get real and unusual glimpses into the lives of...well...everyone!

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To get a sense of "tweeting" you can follow my Twitter messages: go to Twitter.com and search for my Twitter name of HippyGeek. Follow if you choose to, and feel free to send me a hello...and tell me what YOU are doing. :-)