As Twitter becomes more popular and is featured on the news as providing information about real world people issues about identity arise. Treated as an information source it is hard to verify that people twittering are actually who they claim to be, even more so than Facebook which uses email identification, at least for colleges.

News sources can be seen as vetting the identity of Twitter accounts by featuring them, we assume they have done their research, but this is not always the case. It is hard to know what is going on at the non-celebrity level, if people are playing pranks on each other with twitter, or more serious issues have arisen.

There are a wide range of reactions by famous people to finding a Twitter account claiming to be them. Folk singer Kimya Dawson decided to create one of her own after it came to her attention there was an impostor. There are numerous Stephen Colberts, some of which just drop quotes from the show others which actively pretended to be him and interacted with fans until they were found out, but not by Colbert, who doesn’t have any interest in the issue.

On the other end of the spectrum, pop musician Momus found his Twitter doppelganger amusing, as it fit into his ideas of postmodernism and authorship. For each entry in the real Momus’s LiveJournal, known as Click Opera, Twit Opera provides a pithy and sarcastic summary.

There are more serious cases reported by the news media, involving more than musicians and television actors. Financial institutions have had problems with Twitter impostors, Bank of America investigated an account claiming to be an employee, and many brands are concerned about possible bad reputations developing from fake accounts that are perceived as real mouthpieces.

For any corporation information control is a serious issue, so it is likely not a drastic change for them. Politicians would be in the same boat, well versed in dealing with public relations and controlling information, but they are usually not as good with technology, since typically they are respected for their seniority. In Alaska veteran Republican congressman Donald Young quickly acted to shut down his Twitter impersonator, however.

And with technology so comes law. A lawyer has already stepped up to specialize in Twitter impersonation cases, sending desist letters to Twitter and the errant account holders and filing legal actions if necessary. So watch out what twitter accounts you trust, a little investigation clears up most doubts, and also watch out who you fake, you could be sued!

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.

Have you heard of the new social networking site Twitter? Well if you haven’t and you’re not sure if you want to check it out or not, then read on!

Twitter is the newest and currently the top social networking sites. Twitter is a bit different from your average Facebook, Myspace, or MyYearbook account. On Twitter, you update your status, and follow people. But that’s not it. You can send personal “Tweets” (messages on twitter) to the people you follow, or celebrities! You can receive and send mobile updates as well.

It’s a simple website, but so much fun to use! Celebrities like Hugh Jackman, have used it to learn from people about new causes that he could possibly donate to. It’s simple to use, and has a user friendly interface.

Twitter also lets you upload your own avatar to personalize your webpage, along with a customized layout! Twitter tracks how many people follow you, and how many people you follow. It’s a great way to interact with people on line without the hassle of friend requests or spam! It’s the newest social networking revolution, and I believe it will never get old.

News broadcasts use it as well, (such as CNN and Fox), in order to get viewer opinions! Technology is getting better and better everyday, and so isn’t communication. So why not join just about everyone else in America, by logging onto Twitter and start your social networking experience today!

You really should have a twitter account! If you cannot, at any given moment, look at whether your best friend has beat a highscore on his xbox or burnt his bread, you’re missing out on a lot.

Now while the general public uses twitter as a quick and stable communication system, whiney hormonal adolescents have discovered it for their own self-gratifying journalling. Of course nobody will read about how their stubbed toenail sparked a furious debate between mother and daughter, ending in tears for both sides, but for the depressively fragile it is strongly cathartic.

But the versatility doesn’t end there. With 140 words you can make an impact. Strike a dent in the oppressive media with fist-shaking brevity. Pithily point out their bias! Taunt a celebrity! Make like a bird with some onomatopoetic twittering. Question your friends sexuality after the couch incident last night.

Before Twitter there was the equivalent of nothing. Unread diaries and journals of greasy angst formed the scorching desert of the internet. An electric mouth, hungry for activity, gnawing at the remains of websites with background midi music. It’s need has finally been satisfied.

With Twitter you just have a bareable amount of just that. Like say, a potted cactus gracing your living room. Scream all you want at the 140 character limit, but its for your own sake. If you keep it short, people will like you, or as Kurt Kobain said it, “Think before you tweet.”

Social networking is slowly infecting the way we live. People love talking, they just can’t be bothered to stand up. One could say it is a significant leap towards world peace, but that would be a lie and unacceptably impolite.

Social networking is simply a way to keep in touch with your friends, and a way for any private company to instantly monitor your entire online history, hobbies, favorite show and what type of guinea pig you’ve always wanted.

I find a brilliant use for twitter is trying to condense a grammatically correct story into 140 characters. It’s incredibly difficult yet rewarding.

Twitter easily lets you find new people to follow, before they drop into obscurity while you broadcast an unpunctuated tweet about what nail polish you bought. Stalkers will be delighted to hear that many celebrities have publically announced their allegance to Twitter. Finding that tree to sit on has never been easier, just don’t forget the rope.

Twitter can also automatically choose people that would be suitable to be your friends. Keep in mind though, it’s a computer and I wouldn’t trust computers and if you’ve seen Terminator, neither should you.