Notes for Twitter newbies:

1. Twitter, like blogs, puts the most recent things at the top, so you’ll want to read this post from the bottom up.
2. The name before the colon is the Twitter handle of the person who said the comment
3. If you see “RT” that means “Retweet” – a quote, essentially, usually indicating strong agreement.
4. In Twitter people put an “@” symbol before another user’s handle in the middle of a post. That makes the name clickable in Twitter, just like a hyperlink on a regular web page.
5. A “hash tag” – a word with a # sign in front of it means that it’s part of a larger conversation – a way to make it easy for people to all related posts. Go to Twitter Search and enter “#oscars” in the search box for a good example – it’ll let you see not only my comments, but all comments from all Twitter users on the topic.

Here’s the conversation. Each bullet was a different posting:

• sereneredhd: RT@jamesdickey’s RT@noelleee: Tina Fey/Steve Martin should host the #oscars together next. It could make for a hilarious show! AGREE!
• noelleee: @jamesdickey @sweetcherrypop haha glad you guys agree! i’m crossing my fingers. #oscars
• jldavid: RT @Shih_Wei RT @jamesdickey I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz & everyone who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality
• shih_wei: RT @jamesdickey I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality. — LOL
• jamesdickey: RT @noelleee: I think Tina Fey and Steve Martin should host the #oscars together next time ^_^ It could make for a hilarious show!
• frankarr: RT @jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reali …
• jeaniemarshall: @jamesdickey RT Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh. (I just re-watched beginning
• kevinlcc: RT @jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality…:)
• jamesdickey: I’d like to thank Bill Gates, Michael Dell, @ev , @biz , & everyone else who made simultweeting the #Oscars a reality…:)
• scottmckain: RT @jamesdickey: Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh. (I SO agree!)
• jamesdickey: Can’t remember finishing the #Oscars wishing the host had gotten more air time. Good job, Hugh.
• miles_smit: @jamesdickey I’ll be even more impressed with Penn’s acting if he ever plays an understated non-git convincingly. #oscars #tcot #hhrs
• jamesdickey: Best Picture goes to #Slumdog Millionaire #Oscars
• jaredweseman: RT @jamesdickey: RT @stefholt: #OSCARS “Commie, Homo Loving, Sons of guns.” WOW! Sean Penn can get away with it I guess
• jamesdickey: RT @stefholt: #OSCARS “Commie, Homo Loving, Sons of guns.” WOW! Sean Penn can get away with it I guess
• imusicmash: RT @jamesdickey Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Sir Ben Kingsley, & Anthony Hopkins presenting Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars
• WillieTenorio: #Oscars viewing is better with @Jamesdickey comments!
• jamesdickey: Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Ben Kingsley, &Sir Anthony Hopkins presenting the Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars (corr,)
• jamesdickey: Robert DeNiro, Michael Douglas, Adrien Brody, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Anthony Hopkins presenting the Best Actor Award. Nice. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Kate Winslett wins for Best Actress. Good thing her Dad can whistle. #Oscars
• photomanfirst: @jamesdickey Sophia is still hot! #Oscars
• Teddy_Salad: RT @jamesdickey: Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman presenting for Best Actress. Some serious talent there. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, Nicole Kidman presenting for Best Actress. Some serious talent there. #Oscars
• amc10albion: @jamesdickey not sure about a sweep, but I agree with Boyle’s sentiment that the Oscars look amazing this year – a very classy production!
• jamesdickey: So, will this be the #Oscars switch-up – everything else but not the big prize to #Slumdog? or a #Sweep?
• DowntownWoman: Retweeting @jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: @abales Wow. What stories he must have had. I can only imagine. Sad it was so short, but glad you didn’t miss out completely. #Oscars
• LindsayGriffith: I agree!! Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars (via @jamesdickey)
• Teddy_Salad: RT @jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Queen Latifah did a fantastic job on “I’ll be seeing you”. Kudos to her! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Charleton Heston, Paul Newman, Sydney Pollack – big losses in one year. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: The montage of people lost over the last year is always something. Had forgotten about Michael Crichton and Roy Scheider. Sad. @Oscars
• jamesdickey: RT endeavor_global: Wow, the #oscars are truly global! India, Spain, Japan, Germany – love it!
• jamesdickey: Best Foreign Language Film – Departures (from Japan) #Oscars
• FearlessFactor: RT @jamesdickey: Best Original song – Slumdog Millionaire – Another 1 toward a possible sweep #Oscars It’s a sweep. luv the production v …
• jamesdickey: Best Original song – Slumdog Millionaire – Another one toward a possible sweep #Oscars
• ggfilm: @jamesdickey or an airplane that just injested a flock of Geese. #oscars #waronbirds
• jamesdickey: “A movie without music is like an aeroplane without fuel” – Jackman #oscars
• PixelHeadsNet: @jamesdickey Agreed! I feel the same way! I think it was a great speech by Jerry Lewis #Oscars
• KenaRoth: @jamesdickey I agree! #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Nice award for Jerry Lewis. Liked his acceptance speech also. #Oscars
• willgray79: @jamesdickey Yes, a point, but you’ve got to remember that most people were saying it was a shoo-in well before his death. #oscars
• Lilykily: RT:jamesdickey Does anyone know the translation of what Penelope Cruz said in Spanish? #Oscars
• jamesdickey: Does anyone know the translation of what Penelope Cruz said in Spanish? #Oscars
• RPM: @jamesdickey The Oscars are on? (I kid) #Oscars
• aarondelay: @jamesdickey its either slumdog or maybe Reader. #Oscars
• jamesdickey: I’m pulling for Slumdog Millionaire but feeling more indifferent than usual about the #Oscars as a whole this year. You?

What do you think? Was I way off base? Do you wish things had turned out differently? Did you care?