9781422277324

I n 2011, the editors of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictio- nary added a new definition of the word “tweet.” Since the year 1768, the dictionary had defined tweet as simply “a chirping note.” As of 2011, a second definition of the word was “a post made on the Twitter online message service.” Oh, but it is so much more than that. A tweet can be a statement, an opinion, an announcement. It might be a question that results in more tweets from people who think they have the answer. It can be breaking news, reaction to breaking news, public service announcements, safety alerts. It can be a photo or a video. It can be a live video stream of a sporting event or a concert. It can be an advertisement or a campaign de- signed to build awareness for a brand. It can be messages from a celebrity to his or her fans. It can be updates from a professional sports team. It can be a proclamation from the president of the United States. Whatever the message, tweets are delivered through Twitter, the social media platform that was created in 2006 and has since become a ubiquitous presence in modern society. How ubiquitous? This is how Twitter defines itself in official company press releases: “Twitter, Inc., iswhat’s happening in theworld andwhat people are talking

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