I first heard about Twitter over two years ago, when I was perusing fitness blogs. Some of the fitness bloggers had taken to using Twitter in order to track their daily food intake, meal-by-meal. Although this was before Twitter had applications that allowed for better smartphone functionality, such as TwitterBerry and TweetDeck, which would have allowed them to tweet what they were eating immediately after a meal, it still seemed like a convenient tool. I gave it a shot, but never really got into it then. My Twitter quickly stagnated, and I never would have guessed that a little less than two years later, Twitter would become a pop culture sensation.

I can’t remember exactly how Twitter started becoming so popular. Something about Ashton Kutcher and Shaquille O’Neal having a Twitter, so I decided to sign back up. As soon as I signed in, I saw that I could follow so many more celebrities than just them, although the list only extended from “celebrities I kind of like” to “celebrities I don’t really even know.”

I followed, and then quickly unfollowed, Stephen Fry. As lovable as the man is, he Twitters too damn much. Twitter has been a bastion of (mostly useless) information as well. I learned from Cesar Milan (the Dog Whisperer) that dogs sweat through the pads of their feet, and I was one of the first to know that Gavin Newsom would be running for governor of California, as his very first announcement was through his own Twitter. I know when a Twittering baseball player feels like he has tendinitis, and when he feels like it’s just shoulder soreness, and I now know that the writers of the Office act a great deal like the fictional writers of 30 Rock.

I stopped Twittering about a month after I joined, because I realized that, even though I think it’s hilarious, no one really cares that my dog almost burst through the sliding glass door in her (successful) attempt to eat a fly. However Twitter is definitely still a feature in my daily “rotation” of the ten or so sites that I visit multiple times on a daily basis. However, I’m a fickle follower, and I find myself deleting 3-4 more Twitters from my follow list per week. And as tech savvy as I am, I still don’t quite get the re-tweet thing. What, @ replies weren’t good enough?

One lesser-known feature, in terms of how to use it, is the trending hash #. Used for games, protests, and just plain silly Internet themes, the trending hash is placed in front of a word or phrase to make it stand out when talking among people. That way, when searching trends, the hash mark makes a common phrase for a game stand out among ways it may be used in other tweets.

One popular Trend is called #blamedrewscancer. Twitter users #blamedrewscancer for things that go poorly, and BlameDrewsCancer,com records it, hoping for a company to sponsor each blame towards a cancer foundation.

Twitter is something that is here to stay. People devoted to other Social Networking sites will eventually come around and see that Twitter is a fantastic communication too. It’s ease of use, unique features and variety of people is a testament to it’s lasting power.

You can follow anyone, from ZombieCptPicard to MSNBC. GossipGirl updates you on that guilty pleasure show you watch, and your best friend complains about the homework they forgot until last minute.

In the age of communication, I highly recommend everyone starts Tweeting. Otherwise, you’re just out of the loop.

The first thing my friend Adriana did when she signed up for the extremely hip and popular Internet app Twitter was click on Find People so she could populate her feed with friends she knew. I think she found about 5 actual contacts, but none that were active. However, after becoming more familiar with the software, she realized that she could add celebrity Twitters and create her very own pop culture RSS feed!
The most interesting celebrity feeds on Twitter she found are:
• Warren Ellis – Ellis is a renown comic book/fiction writer known for the acclaimed Transmetropolitan and Hellbrazer series, as well as prose novels such as Crooked Little Vein and Listener. Joining his Twitter has kept me abreast of his work, but also has given me a peek into his very active imagination and sarcastic (and very British) humor. He also responds to your Tweets!
• Hugh Jackman – This Hollywood star is best known for his role in X-Men as Wolverine, but his Twitter lets us into a more private world where we see that Jackman is actually a really nice guy (who else would pay for breakfast for hundreds of fans waiting to see his movie??)
• Rainn Wilson – Also known as Dwight from hit NBC series The Office, Wilson has a very funny and frequently updated Twitter that shows him jostling back and forth with other comedians, and even regular ol’ readers like you and I!
• William Shatner – The original Captain Kirk of Star Trek is still kicking it online and has now picked up the pace with his Twitter, adding more frequent updates and interesting links relating to himself, Priceline, and even the new Star Trek movie.
• Dave Mustaine – Lead singer and guitarist of thrash metal band Megadeth, Mustaine gives his fans updates on recording, touring and is looking for you to join his page and spread the word.
• John Mayer – Popular guitarist and singer John Mayer has become notorious for his Twitter updates and his candor in general. Even if you aren’t a fan of the man’s music, it is definitely worth checking out his page because you’re bound to be on top of something that will be gracing Star magazine next week!
So think of a few celebrities you like and look up if they have a Twitter! There’s also always the option of trying the Suggestions tab to see who Twitter thinks you should follow. Have a blast – and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to get a tweet back from your favorite star!