All I Need To Know About Twitter I Learned In Kindergarten

Now that I consider myself a somewhat experienced member of the Twitter community, I have spent a little time reflecting on all that I’ve learned since joining the group approximately one year ago.

With credit (and apologies) to Robert Fulghum, the author of All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, here’s what I’ve learned:• Share everything – Not a day passes that I don’t learn something while on Twitter. When you come across a great quote, fact or article retweet it! In a recent blog post, Peggy Fitzpatrick recently shared the 12 Most Clever Tools On Twitter. This excellent post received 65 comments, 203 tweets and 103 retweets. Now that’s sharing!

• Play fair – It’s not just about you; it’s about the community. Don’t just post things about yourself and your business. Answer questions, share advice and be helpful.

• Don’t hit people – Twitter is not the place to have public battles. I recently made the difficult decision to “unfollow” two prominent members of the Twitter community who felt it was appropriate to have a week-long, back-and-forth “spat” for all of the Twitter community to witness.

• Don’t take things that aren’t yours – If the article, quote or tip you’re sharing wasn’t originally yours, give credit to the original author; don’t plagiarize. In addition, if you publish one of those “daily” blogs don’t credit someone who retweeted an article as the “original” author. This happens to me frequently. I see my name and photo next to an article that I didn’t write and only retweeted. This makes me feel very uncomfortable. Take the time to find the original author and give them the credit. I don’t want it.

• Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody – Refer back to “don’t hit people.”

• Flush – Every now and then go through your list of followers and “unfollow” the spammers and those who haven’t tweeted in weeks.

• Take a nap every afternoon – Some of you seem to be on Twitter 24/7. Take a break!

• Be aware of wonder – Take time to appreciate what you’ve learned and the connections, and even friendships, you’ve made.

• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned – the biggest word of all – LOOK