Quick Guide to Twitter Symbols, Lingo, and Actions

Twitter
Twitter
Meaning
Symbol
Lingo
Structural Components
Handle
The identification or account name of the tweeter (e.g. @GoogleGuacamole). Accompanied by
@
an avatar (image) of the users choosing
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Profile

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Followers

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Following

A list of the users the tweeter has chosen to follow. All of these users tweets will appear in the
tweeters stream.

Timeline

The dynamic home of the tweeter, showing in real time the tweets of those who the tweeter
follows. The timeline is also known more informally as the tweeters stream.

Notifications

The alert page that notifies tweeters when their tweets are favorited, retweeted, or receive a
reply. Also informs tweeters when other users follow them or mention them in a tweet.
Some tweeters choose to have their notifications forwarded to email accounts

Annotation Systems
Hashtag
#

Customizable page that allows the tweeter to share (usually autobiographical) information and
avatar. Tweeters use this page to access a record of their own tweets as well lists of other users
that follow them, users they follow, and lists of tweets they favorited
The other users who chose to follow the Tweeter. Followers will see all the tweeters tweets in
their streams.

Retweet
(RT)

The tweeter constructs a tweet that includes a hashtag followed by text (e.g. #vcudiglit15 or
#dissertationproblems). All tweets that include the hashtag are aggregated on separate pages
so that users can follow a stream of tweets about this topic. In academic environments, hashtags
are often used to indicate course (e.g. Thoughtvectors) or conference names (e.g. ELI2015).
The tweeter shares another users tweet with his/her followers. They may edit the tweet prior to
retweeting it. Notification is automatically sent to the original tweeter that the retweet occurred.

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Hat Tip
(HT or Via)

The tweeter acknowledges where (typically another user) he/she received the information or
link that he/she is about to share with followers.

Mention
(MT)

The tweeter constructs a tweet that includes the Twitter handle of another user. The tweet is
public and appears in the tweeters stream, but it also appears in the mentioned users
notification column, increasing the possibility that he or she will see it.

Other User Actions

Direct
Message
Favorite

Reply

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Follow

The tweeter contacts another user privately. These messages are curated in the Message page,
similar in function to the Notifications page.
The tweeter acknowledges a tweet in his or her stream without adding additional comments.
The favorited tweet is not shared with the favoriters followers (in other words, the signal is
not amplified), but the original tweeter is automatically notified that the tweet was favorited.
The favorited tweet is also saved to the favoriters favorite list.
The tweeter replies directly to a tweet of another user. Replies are public, showing in the twitter
streams of the original tweeter and those who reply.
The tweeter adds another user to their list of followers. The followed users tweets now show
up in the stream of tweeter who followed them. Tweeters can also unfollow other users to
remove their tweets from their streams.

Created by Laura Gogia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0