Some of you who know me well may think you have entered The Twilight Zone. But you haven’t. What I am about to tell you is not happening in the twilight zone, but it is definitely a new, different, world to me. The Communication Studies Department is now on Twitter! You can follow us on Twitter @USFDONSCOMS. I will be posting links to this blog, but also reminders of events and other departmental information and announcements that may not make it onto the blog. I think it will be fun, and another way to keep everyone updated as to what is going on in our department and with our students, faculty, and alums. Here’s a bit more information:
@USFDONSCOMS is the official Twitter account for the Department. So, you won’t get tweets like the following:
“Just finished class. Now I’m eating a salad!”
Or this one:
“Watching Glee and eating Ben and Jerry’s Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream!”
I did actually do these things this week, but I won’t be tweeting about them. No. You will be getting tweets like the one I sent out yesterday:
“Are you a COMS major? Need an internship? Two new internship opportunities were just posted in the Internship Binder in the main office.”
Or this one from this morning:
“Communication Studies Game Day TONIGHT! Hope to see you COMS majors and alums there! Read about it here: http://bit.ly/fh0MMt.” (Special thanks to Professor David Silver for the lesson on making abbreviated URLs!).
You also need to know that we only follow other departments, offices, faculty, and staff within the university. That means we won’t be following you! So what you twitter (or tweet?) about is safe! I won’t be reading it, and neither will any of the other faculty members.
You will hopefully be getting some flyers in class and see them posted around our department. I think they’re catchy. They say “Be a follower.” You know how most of the time in college you are encouraged to be a leader? Notice the play on words? (What do you PR and Ad students think?). Please pass on the flyers and the Twitter handle (I think that’s what it is called) to other majors and alums who may be interested. I think our Twitter messages will be helpful for alums as well, so I am hoping that you will “Be a follower” too!
Be a follower!
One last thing (I tweeted about it this morning). Yesterday in class I announced our profile picture. I was really pleased because it is the Don reading a communication theory textbook. Several students seemed impressed and asked me how I did it. I said, “just a bit of posing in my office. No big deal.” I figured it out. Some people thought I got the actual Don to pose for our profile picture! That would be so cool, but I am not that well connected to the real Don. So it’s just the doll. I know. Now it is not as impressive. But still cute, right?
Our profile picture... the Don reading a communication theory textbook!
I also took one of the Don typing on my computer. It was a toss up.
Okay, come on. Be a follower. Everyone’s doing it.
Glad you’re Tweeting! One comment – I’m not sure I understand why you don’t follow students. Folks who don’t want their twitter streams read can lock them down. While I’m no expert, IMHO twitter works best when its a conversation – I’m not sure you can fully engage students (or anyone else) if you don’t follow them and respond to what they’re tweeting about.
yeah, USF coms is on twitter!
i agree with Shawn, though, and would suggest you at least consider following students. just a thought.
and yes: the verb is “to tweet.” =)