環(huán)球英語 — 339：Twitter

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Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Ryan Geertsma.

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And I'm Robin Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

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On February 12, 2009 many people gathered together to raise money for Charity: Water. This not-for-profit organization works to bring clean water to developing nations. People gathered for this event in two hundred two [202] different cities around the world. But these gatherings were not organized by Charity: Water, or any organization. They were organized by individual people. So how did these individuals know to gather? How did they spread information about the event around the world? They used Twitter.

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Twitter is an internet website service that invites people to answer one simple question: What are you doing? People use Twitter to share their thoughts and to let people know what they are doing. They also use Twitter to read other people's thoughts or "tweets.".

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Twitter is an online social networking tool. It is similar to other social networking websites like Facebook, Hi5, and MySpace. These websites help their users stay connected with people they have already met. They also help users meet new people that they would not meet for any other reason. As a result, social networking websites create new ways to be in community with other people.

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But there are two things that make Twitter different from other social networking websites. First, Twitter is very simple. It is easy to update your Twitter message and see other people's messages. Like all social networking websites, Twitter users can use a computer to visit the website. But Twitter can also be used on a mobile phone!

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Twitter messages are limited to one hundred forty [140] letters, numbers, symbols or spaces. This is what makes Twitter so easy to use on a mobile phone. Users can text a new message to Twitter. This written message is sent to a service that updates Twitter. It puts a new message on the Twitter website. Users can also use their mobile phones to see other people's Twitter updates. Users can choose to have Twitter send new or changed messages directly to their mobile phones.

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The other reason people use Twitter is the speed of communication. Twitter messages are short and can be sent from any computer or mobile phone. Because of this, most Twitter users update their Twitter message many times each day. And they can answer other people's updates immediately, no matter where they are. So the speed of Twitter communication can be very similar to two people talking directly.

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Matt Gross is a travel writer for the New York Times website. He likes to use Twitter when he travels. On Twitter, he can ask a question and get many answers very quickly. These answers can come from people all over the world! Matt says,

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"Often I find myself in a new city or country and I am not sure exactly what I should do, see, or eat next. But thanks to Twitter and the growing number of people who follow my updates, I can immediately ask the world for ideas."

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This speed of communication also allows Twitter users to spread news around the world very quickly. In November of 2008, terrorists attacked the city of Mumbai, India. During these attacks many Twitter users continually updated their Twitter messages with details about the events. CNN reported,

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"With more than six million [6,000,000] members all over the world, an estimated eighty [80] messages, or "tweets," were being sent to Twitter.com from mobile phones every five seconds. These messages provided witness stories and updates. Many Twitter users also sent requests for blood donors to go to particular hospitals in Mumbai. These hospitals faced low supplies and rising numbers of victims."

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Through Twitter, people all over the world knew what was happening in Mumbai. Local people also got information on how to help. Twitter brought people together for a common cause.

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Twitter is not a traditional community. People do not necessarily know each other well. But with Twitter, a new kind of community is possible. People stay connected through the messages. Because Twitter is easy to use and its users can quickly react to updates, it is easy to stay informed.

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The Twitter communities develop as people begin to care about each other. They want to know more about the user. Sometimes they even want to get together with other local Twitter users. And through Twitter the users can show support for each other, like in the Mumbai attacks.

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Paul Smith, from the United Kingdom, helped to demonstrate the way Twitter creates community. Paul wanted to see if he could depend only on support from his Twitter community. So he decided to begin a challenge, a kind of test. In only thirty [30] days, he would travel half way around the world - from his home in England to the southern part of New Zealand. He also decided he would use the trip as a way to raise money for Charity: Water.

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Paul made five rules for his trip. Each rule involved Twitter. He explained the rules on his online blog.

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"These are the five rules I have to follow for the thirty [30] days. I can only accept travel and places to stay on Twitter, from people who are following my Twitter messages... I want to depend on the support of the Twitter community."

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As Paul wrote, he could only accept airplane travel or car rides from other people on Twitter. Also, he could not pay for his travel. It had to be offered to him for free on Twitter. He also had some rules about how and when he must accept offers. In his last rule he explains what will happen if he does not get help from his Twitter community.

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"If I am unable to move on from a place in forty-eight [48] hours, the challenge is over and I go home... I hope my community of Twitterers will not let that happen."

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People in Europe, the United States, and New Zealand learned about Paul Smith and his big goal on Twitter. So they followed his Twitter messages and helped him when he travelled near them. More than eleven thousand [11,000] people followed Paul's progress on Twitter.

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Paul Smith did complete his trip. His success demonstrates the large community that Twitter creates by connecting many people all over the world.

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Do you use Twitter? If so, how? If you do not, which online social networking websites do you like to use? You can e-mail us your thoughts at radio @ english . net.