Word of the Week 6.1.09: Retweet (RT)

Like so many social networking sites, each has its own lingo and Twitter is leading the pack.

This week’s Word of the Week is "retweet" better know by its acronym RT. Seasoned Twitter users know all too well the value of RTs. A retweet is a compliment in the world of Twitter; it’s an endorsement by another user saying that they value your information enough to share it.

A retweet is when a Twitter user rebroadcasts another user’s update (a.k.a. tweet). The attribute RT is used to indicate that the tweet is a rebroadcast. This is accomplished by typing an RT, the @ symbol with the originator's Twitter Username (no space), and copying and pasting the tweet you want to re-post. The formula for a retweet: RT + @username + original tweet.

EXAMPLE:

Original tweet by socialnetandyou:
Social networking glossary - Blog: http://bit.ly/xLMdE

Retweet:
RT @socialnetandyou Social networking glossary - Blog: http://bit.ly/xLMdE

There are a number of desktop and web applications (e.g. Tweetdeck, HootSuite) that make retweeting easy and eliminate the need to copy and paste.

Each week, sn&u defines a term from the social networking and social media arena. You will find additional terms in our Glossary.

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