Minute Up-to-the-Minute News at CERF 2009

Twittering – it’s a real tweet…

@CERFPortland: Say anything you want to say about coasts & estuaries,

just be sure you say it “Twitter-style” in 140 characters or less*

(*136 characters with spaces)

PORTLAND, ORE. – The scientists you will be joining in Portland Nov. 1-5 for the 2009 biennial CERF conference will, of course, find themselves on the cutting edge of coastal science. Some of you may also find yourselves on the cutting edge of social networking, as well. With both feet planted firmly in the twenty-first century, CERF will enter the brave new world of social networking by hosting a Twitter site for conference-goers to use for quick communication with each other and the group at large.

      Twitter is the popular, Web-based social networking service that allows you to send short messages (no more than 140 characters long) to friends or colleagues. Registered Twitter users log into the web site to send or receive messages or to “follow” others who use the service for messaging. For example, to send a message to someone attending the CERF conference, you would log into your own account at www.Twitter.com and address your 140-character message to “@CERFPortland.” After you set up your Twitter account, it is easy to link your account to your other webbased services, such as www.Facebook.com or web-based email servers like www.G-mail.com. You can even send messages from your cellular phone.

      CERF has also set up a Facebook site for networking, posting photos of field trips, and sharing information and conference news at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=80315568888. If you’ve never used Twitter, a few guidelines might help you get started. Twitter users are sometimes called “tweeters,” and they like to refer to the messages they send as “tweets.” You open a Twitter account by registering your email and selecting a user name plus a password at the www.Twitter.com homepage. Use your real name if you want to be sure that your professional colleagues will know who you are. After setting up your account, be sure to read the few simple rules and guidelines for sending and receiving tweets.

      Normally tweeters send their messages to a common post, where they can be viewed and read by anyone using the service. Private messages (called “direct messages” by tweeters) can be sent to specific individuals. For example, messages sent to “@CERFPortland” will be sent directly to “CERFPortland,” and will be visible to anyone who elects to follow CERFPortland. To see all of the messages being sent to and from CERFPortland, click on the CERFPortland’s icon, then click on the “follow” link found on CERFPortland’s information page.

      You can program your cell phone to accept and send text tweets using the instructions on the website. Some Twitter controls are accessible from your cell phone. Be aware, though, that while Twitter does not charge for its services, your cell phone service provider might charge for the text messages you send via Twitter.

      Questions about accessing CERF’s Twitter account should be directed to john.bragg@state.or.us.