Think I’ve covered every aspect of Twitter? Bet this list is missing something. What do you want to know about the microblogging service that even Conan O’Brian includes in his routine?

A Twitter Mystery: An adventure created in PowerPoint, but not using its built-in templates — just the design.

8 Ways to Avoid Overwhelming Your Followers’ Twitter Stream: I’m guilty of breaking rules especially the chat-related ones, but trying to get better about it.

Why People Don’t Follow Back in Twitter on Web Worker Daily: Hear from the crowd why they don’t follow some people back.

Twitter for Business FAQ: Some are leery of using Twitter for business. Perhaps, these answers will help them make the step forward.

7 Traits of Bad Twitter Follows: This came before the previous one.

7 Tips to a Good Twitter Experience: Believe me. When I first tried Twitter, I didn’t get it.

Twitter Success Means More Than Numbers: Of course, it’s cool when you’re reaching almost 2000 followers, but really… numbers mean little now.

How to Join Twitter Chats: Twitter chats are dangerous. They clutter the Twitter stream. I lost several followers because of my participating in chats (I now use my secondary ID for them @merylevans instead of @merylkevans). Some people are against chats on Twitter for good reason and believe they should move into a chat forum. Well, Twitter chats are going too strong to make a change.

How to Run a Successful Twitter Chat: Tips also apply to those participating. These guidelines are not Robert’s rules or anyone’s rules, just guidelines to help.

50+ Writer Uses for Twitter: Exactly that. Gleaned from a medical list. Bet you can come up with some for your business or industry.

Writer Doesn’t Get Twitter: I was like him when I took my first steps in Twitter.

4 Steps to Run with Twitter: Try to help people get up and running faster to save time in learning the hard way.

Real-life Twitter Business Success Stories: Amazing what you can get out of Twitter for business, too.

Slam-Dunk Networking With Twitter on Web Worker Daily: Do Twitter right.

Email Tip: Save Time and Stress with One New Folder on Web Worker Daily: This makes a big difference in managing my Twitter account. Early on, it was no big deal as I only received a couple of emails a day. That’s climbed a lot. This small step made a huge difference for this organized gal.

62 Ways to Use Twitter for Business: Exactly that.

When’s Prime Time on Twitter?: Always. Get on Twitter at an unusual hour for you and you never know what you’ll find.

How to Search Hashtags or chat with Twitter Search video with subtitles.

How to Use Tweetchat video with subtitles.

How to Use Tweetgrid video with subtitles.

How to Build a Better Twitter Bio: Are you sure you have it covered?

Twitter “Listed” Stat: Is It a Measure of Influence: Don’t let the Lists numbers bug you.

Get Organized with Twitter Lists Feature: Needing experts on X topic, make a list for the topic and you have you instant go to spot.

How Much Should You Reveal About Yourself Online: More than just Twitter, but every bit as helpful.

Using Twitter Lists Feature for Writing

10 Commandments for Writers Using Social Media: More than just Twitter, but just as applicable.

11 Reasons Why People Don’t Follow Back on Twitter: It’s not you… most of the time.

The Foolproof Way to Separate Fact from Fiction on Twitter: Crowds can make us believe something that’s not true.

How Writers Handle Personal and Professional Lives in Social Media: Some have multiple accounts, some combine.

How to Create a Twitter Profile for Writers: Making sure your profile doesn’t turn people away.

How Much Time Should You Spend on Social Media? What to consider when deciding.

Make the Most of Your Social Media Time: Some ideas and how I do it.

How to Build Conversations in Social Media Using the Three P’s: Passion, Planning and Promotion.

List will receive updates as more articles come out to fill any other gaps. What would you like to know about Twitter that these don’t answer?

ShortURL to this post: http://bit.ly/30UzTq

Updated 26 January 2010

Image credit Flávio Takemoto

I love participating in Twitter chats. These bring together intelligent individuals with a common interest yet each one adds something unique to the conversation. I’ve already covered how to join Twitter chats. This post looks at the process of participating in the chat.

#journchat set many of the standards that other chats have adopted. While official standards don’t exist, it becomes clear what works and what doesn’t work after you participate in enough chats. These guidelines capture the practices that lead to productive and fun chats.

1. Let participants know how to submit questions: Some moderators ask for questions before the chat, during the chat or both. Different moderators have different submission preferences. It helps to receive questions in private rather than during the chat because people might start answering.
2. Announce topic before chat: Most Twitter chats have a topic for the conversation. This keeps everyone on the same page. Tweet the topic before the chat so everyone knows.
3. Announce guests before chat: Guests add to the chat by sharing their expertise. Letting participants know about the guest allows them to watch for them and follow them. Some twitter apps like Tweetchat let you enter a Twitter ID to highlight that person’s tweets.
4. Tweet chat reminder: People get busy and forget. It’s OK to tweet reminders along with the topic and guest ID. It helps grow your list, too.
5. Begin chat with rules: New chatters join, experienced chatters forget. It keeps everyone on same page.
6. Identify who chat targets: #Editorchat, for example, is for editors and those who work with them. It doesn’t mean you can’t join if you don’t fit, you can observe.
7. Start with introductions: Moderator can encourage specific information such as “Tell us who you are and what you do.”
8. Stay on topic: Of course, it’s OK to laugh and make a joke about a comment. In fact, Timberry said, “A wise competitor once said: I don’t care if you stand beside me on the pier fishing. There are plenty of fish.” adarowski followed up with, “You didn’t push him, did you? ” Gave us all a big laugh.
9. Play nice: Accept it’s OK to have a difference of opinion, just be nice and courteous about it. If we all agreed all the time, it’d be a boring conversation.
10. Listen: Moderators and guests take the lead. We all have something to contribute. Listening ensures you stay on track and avoid dominating the conversation.
11. Block spammers: Several spammers invaded Twitter chats. Everyone blocked them and stopped it. While this rule could say “Don’t spam,” generally the spammers aren’t really part of the conversation.
12. Begin questions and answers with Q1, Q2, etc.: This helps people connect the answer with the question. I admit it — I forgot a couple of times.
13. Add the chat name to tweet: If you use Tweetchat or Tweetgrid, it will automatically add it for you. Otherwise, add the name with # or else the group will miss your comment.
14. Watch the pitching and promoting: Several chats ask to save the pitches for the last five minutes of the conversation.
15. Take unrelated tweets out of chat: Go to the Twitter browser or DM the person. It’s hard enough to follow a chat without having irrelevant and personal comments cluttering the stream.
16. Warn friends: Some people don’t like it when their twitter stream fills up with a bunch of tweets from a person participating in a chat. Many folks enter a chat saying, “About to join chat. You might want to put me on www.twittersnooze.com.” Better yet, create a separate ID for chats. Put your main Twitter ID in your chat profile.

What else works or doesn’t work when it comes to chatting through twitter?

ShortURL to this post: http://bit.ly/19w1w7

Image credit Vincent Abry

Updated: 23 February 2010

ShortURL to this post: http://bit.ly/twitterchats

Twitter group chats offer a clever and effective way to meet people with like interests and to share insights into the topic of discussion. Chatters track their conversations using hashtags (#) followed by the name of the chat, i.e. #journchat.

While we can search for these groups by their names as in “journchat” and “editorchat,” the reason we had the # in front is to separate them from those just mentioning those words in conversation. It’s not as if we’re going to mention “journchat” in our conversation without a reference to the chat, but there are other names like “Star Wars” that can mean the difference between # and no #.

Update: This post is no longer updated as an interactive spreadsheet is available and it looks like chats are growing too fast for one person to keep the listed updated.

Here’s a list of Twitter chats in alphabetical order. A detailed list appears after the list sorted by the day of the week. Please add chats, more information and corrections in the comments and I’ll update the list. To join a chat, check the post on how to join Twitter chats.

Note: All times listed in Central Standard Time. Find out what time the chat occurs in your area with the time zone converter.

Alphabet List of Chats

#agchat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#agencychat: Fridays, 1:00pm – 2:00pm CST.

#AgeOp: Thursdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#amwriting: Slow chat that runs in background.

#assnchat: Tuesdays, 1:00pm-2:00pm CST.

#blogchat: Sundays, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CST.

#brandchat: Wednesdays, 10:00am to 11:00am CST.

#carchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#dogtalk: Mondays, 8:15pm to 9:15pm CST.

#educhat: No set schedule.

#eventprofs: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

#ffparty: Fridays.

#foodchat: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#hcsm: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#hcmktg: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#imcchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#innochat: Thursdays, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CST.

#journ2journ: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:30pm CST.

#journchat: Mondays, 7:00pm to 10:00pm CST.

#kaizenblog: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

#kidlitchat: Tuesdays, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CST.

#litchat: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

#lrnchat: Thursdays, 7:30pm – 9:00pm CST.

#poetry: Thursdays, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CST.

#pr20chat: Tuesdays, 7:00pm – 8:00pm CST.

#prstudchat: Monthly.

#queryday: No set schedule.

#sbbuzz: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#scriptchat: Sundays, 8:00 GMT for Euro and 7:00pm CST for U.S.

#smallbizchat: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#smbiz: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#smchat: Wednesdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#solorpr: Wednesdays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#talentnet: last Wednesday of the month, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CST.

#tbc: generally second Monday of the month, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CST.

#u30pro: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 10:00pm CST.

#writechat: Sundays, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CST.

#yalitchat: Wednesdays, 8:00pm CST.

Sunday

#writechat: Moderated by @WritingSpirit. When: Sundays, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CST.

#blogchat: Bettering your blog. Moderated by . Blogchat recaps. Moderated by @MackCollier. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#hcsm: “The Healthcare Communication & Social Media community hosts a weekly Twitter conversation about communication and marketing practices by healthcare organizations, including use of social media.” Moderated by @HealthSocMed and #danamlewis. Chat web site. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#scriptchat: Connects aspiring and seasoned screenwriters to learn and grow. Moderated by @jeannevb (US) and @DreamsGrafter (EURO). Screenchat web site. Also follow @scriptchat. When: Sundays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST (US) and 8:00 GMT (EURO).

Monday

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

#journchat: “Conversation between journalists, bloggers and public relations folks. Moderated by @PRsarahevans.” When: 7:00pm to 10pm CST.

#dogtalk: A weekly discussion on dogs. Moderators: @fangshuicanines and @turtlelady81. When: Mondays, 8:15pm to 9:15pm CST.

#tbc: The Book Club discusses a specific book and drink wine. We have our priorities straight! Moderated by @thebookmaven. When: Generally second Monday of the month, 8:00 pm-9:00 pm CST.

Tuesday

#assnchat: “Open to any all members of the association community, including staff, consultants, volunteer leaders and members. Explore the present and future of associations. Bring your issues and questions!” Moderated by @pinnovation with assistance from others. When: Tuesdays, 1:00 pm-2:00 pm CST.

#sbbuzz: “A weekly chat about small businesses for small business owners, techies, social media mavens and folks who love ‘em.” More focused on tech in small business. Moderated by @sbbuzz, @pmohara and @mriggen. Chat web site. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#smbiz: “Open chat session where small businesses of every kind can meet, network and ask all kinds of questions in any of the aforementioned areas.” Moderated by @smbiz, @sternalpr, @sternalmrktg. Details about #smbiz. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#pr20chat: Discussion of where PR is heading. Web site. Moderated by @jgoldsborough and @prtini.” When: 7:00pm to 8:00pm CST.

#agchat: “The mission of #agchat is to keep an ongoing, open dialogue amongst the various players in the agriculture, farming and ranching worlds. For people in agriculture, including those in the business of producing food, feed, fuel and fiber.” Moderated by #mpaynknoper. When: Tuesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#foodchat: “Monthly conversation Designed to bring consumers together with agriculture on the third Tuesday of each month to bridge the farm gate to the consumer plate.” Moderated by #foodchat and #mpaynknoper. When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#kidlitchat: Discussion on writing books for children and young adults. Moderated by @BonnieAdamson and @gregpincus. When: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#eventprofs: Gathering of event professionals. Wiki of chat topics and archives of past chats, schedule and moderators. Chat details. Moderated by @ready2spark and @eventprofs. When: Tuesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

Wednesday

#brandchat: “A discussion between experts, strategists, and those interested in learning more about personal branding and managing their personal brand.” Brandchat site and Twitter ID. Moderated by #mariaduron and #davidsandusky. When: Wednesdays, 10:00am to 11:00am CST.

#smchat: A discussion on the power of social media among active practitioners and strategists. Anyone interested in driving value from online interaction and collaboration is welcome. Be ready for a discussion that’s sometimes technical but always lively. We explore dynamics of social & professional interaction, twitter, online communities, and the evolution of knowledge networks. Moderated by @sourcepov. See #smchat page on What the Hashtag? for more details. Members should watch #socialmedia #collaboration and #km for insight. When: Wednesdays, 12:00pm – 1:00pm CST.

#solopr: “Open discussions that serve as a companion to the SoloPRpro.com blog, designed for independent PR and MarCom pros – and those who’d like to be.” See #SoloPR whashtag page. Moderated by @kellyeCrane. When: Wednesdays, 12:00pm – 1:00pm CST.

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

#imcchat: “For marketers who want to discuss or debate integrated marketing communications.” Moderated by @bethharte and @abarcelos. Follow IMCchat and see Facebook Page. When: Wednesdays, 7:00 to 8:00pm CST.

#carchat: Discussion about cars and the automotive industry. Facebook group. Moderated by @michaelbanovsky. When: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#smallbizchat: “Helpful tips and advice geared toward small business startups and those that have been in business for less than five years.” Follow @smallbizchat for weekly details. Moderated by @smallbizlady and cohost @CathyWebSavvyPR. When: Wednesdays, 7:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

#talentnet: “Chat is for an audience of recruiters, sourcers, researchers and other HR professionals interested in social media for recruiting and branding.” More details on chat and Facebook page. Moderated by @fishdogs and @pinkolivefamily. When: last Wednesday of the month, 8:00pm to 10:00pm CST.

#yalitchat: Talking young adult literature. Moderated by @georgia_mcbride. YAlitchat page. When: Wednesdays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST.

Thursday

#kaizenblog: How to practice Kaizen based on Kaizen and Blogging. Moderated by @ConversationAge. When: Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

#eventprofs: Gathering of event professionals. Wiki of chat topics and archives of past chats, schedule and moderators. Moderated by @ready2spark and @eventprofs. When: Mondays, 8:00pm to 9:00pm CST and Thursdays, 11:00am to 12:00pm CST.

#innochat: On innovation. Moderated by @stonepayton. When: Thursdays, 2:00pm to 3:00pm CST.

#journ2journ: Reporters help other reporters in some manner and discuss journalism challenges. Moderated by @journ2journ. Chat recaps on Poynter. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:30pm CST.

#tweetin: Moderated by @LinkedInExpert. See Linked in to Business. When: Thursdays (not weekly, check site), 7:00pm to 8:30pm CST.

#u30pro: Discusses how to bridge the generational gap, demolish stereotypes and break down differences in the professional workplace. Open to all ages. Moderated by @u30pro, @davidspinks and @CubanaLAF. When: Thursdays, 7:00pm to 8:00pm.

#lrnchat for people interested in the topic of learning who use the social messaging service Twitter to learn from one another and discuss how to help other people learn. Moderated by @marciamarcia. When: Thursdays, 7:30pm – 9:00pm CST.

#AgeOp: “For those interested in getting more out of life, marketing to the 50+ demographic, interested in the politics of aging, the tragedy of ageism, the explosion of masters athletics, the value of experience, the key to health and vitality, how the 50+ market uses the internet, and on and on.” Moderated by @kwidrick and @ageopportunity. When: Thursdays, 8pm – 9:00pm CST.

#poetry: “We talk poetry. Readers, writers, and all others encouraged to join.” Moderated by @gregpincus. When: Thursdays, 8pm – 9:00pm CST.

Friday

#ffparty: “A virtual nightclub on Twitter where the creative class gathers from all over the world for a Friday Art Party. Artists of all types share creative expression. Guests at #ffparty drape themselves in beautiful clothes, listen to cool music, mingle with contemporaries, and bring their work, or share other’s work, displaying their creative and original flair.” Moderated by @blogbrevity. #ffparty explained. When: Fridays.

#hcmktg: Chat related to healthcare marketing. Moderated by @hcmktg, @IntervalChris, @TalstoneDJ and @reedsmith. Chat web site. When: Fridays, 12:00pm to 1:00pm CST.

#agencychat: Chat for those working or interested in ad agencies. Moderated by @craigritchie. Facebook page. When: Fridays, 1:00pm to 2:00pm CST.

#litchat: “Mission is to connect readers with books and authors.” Transcripts available on blog. Moderated by @litchat. When: Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays, 3:00 pm-4:00 pm CST.

Saturday

None

No Set Schedule

#amwriting: A slow chat where you’re not expected to stay tuned-in constantly. The chat happens in the background of your writing day. It is a virtual watercooler for writers, a place you can hang out and talk to other writers about your current writing projects (and theirs) and then you get back to work. The energy of writers who post here is amazing. Chat details. #amwriting is not a one-person endeavor. A lot of amazing people have jumped in and made the hashtag their own.

#educhat: “While we could discuss many topics in a given evening, it is currently thought that each week would see discussions focused on a single broad topic” surrounding education. #educhat web site and information. Moderated by @educhat. When: No set schedule.

#prstudchat: “Monthly Twitter chat designed to bring together PR students, professionals,and educators for a dynamic conversation about the Public Relations Industry and to provide opportunities for learning, networking and mentoring relationships.” #PRStudChat LinkedIn page lists info for upcoming chats. Moderated by @dbreakenridge and @valeriesimon. When: Monthly.

#queryday: Discusses how to query well. Held every other month and moderated by Colleen Lindsay. When: No set schedule.