Tweets are short at 140 characters, but a Twitter avatar must visually represent a user in just 2304 pixels. Choosing the right avatar can affect the way people see you online. Here are some of the most popular avatar types and what they say about the user: Standard head shot : Head and shoulders, framed squarely, professional in appearance, though perhaps a little formal. You’ve established a good balance between being serious and frivolous. You’re “normal,” whatever that means. You’re in demand as a friend and as an employee and you’ve never been thrown out of anywhere. LOL!”. You go! MORE >>

I have a lot of rules I’ve imposed on myself, in everything I do. won’t use a postage meter, for example, because I think an envelope with a stamp is less likely to be thrown out. also have a lot of rules for how I use Twitter, so I thought I would share them. was very deliberate when I wrote “rules for how I use Twitter.” These are the rules I’ve established for myself. wouldn’t presume to tell you how to use Twitter. Be relevant 90% of the time. Be original 90% of the time. Don’t rely too heavily on retweeting other people’s content. Don’t tweet about pets. Make the world a better place. MORE >>

Social media, particularly its use in business communications, is still in its early days, and like anything new and different, there’s plenty of mythology surrounding it. The problem posed by certain of these myths is that they mislead those trying to adopt social media, and can lead to bad decisions, poorly implemented initiatives and unrealized expectations. Mail Is Dead. The blogosphere has been buzzing recently in response to a Wall Street Journal article declaring that e-mail is dead. Unfortunately, the Journal didn’t say e-mail was dead, but reported on Oct. But its reign is over.”. MORE >>

In an effort to better understand the social media phenomenon, it often helps to turn to experts in the field. But I’m not talking about social media gurus or mavens, or people with 20,000 followers on Twitter. m referring to smart, articulate people from other fields who have something profound to say that might help us put social media into perspective. And all but one of them are dead. Publication is a self-invasion of privacy.” Marshall McLuhan. McLuhan clearly foresaw the whole phenomenon of blogging, Twitter and Facebook status updates. How much information is too much? Marshall McLuhan. MORE >>

The idea that social media allows us to engage in online conversations is getting people into all kinds of trouble, because what we’re doing when we click “Tweet&# on Twitter or “Share&# on Facebook isn’t conversation — it’s publication. Imagine you’re chatting with a real friend in a real cafe. The following might be true of your conversation: It is just between the two of you, and not meant for others. If you’re not cautious, a couple of people might overhear. There’s no permanent record of your conversation. It could live on for years. MORE >>