A large group of people is sitting in a bar. Casual conversation flows over pitchers of beer and, every now and then, people glance at their cell phones or send a text. A pretty standard picture for a low-key bar night, except these people are all connected through updates of each other’s lives. They follow each other on Twitter.com and they mingle at a monthly tweetup—and this is the scene of a local tweetup at Jo Shmo’s, 724 Massachusetts Street, on March 24.

Perhaps you’ve been an avid Twitter user for years, or maybe you just want to know what all the fuss is about. Either way, Twitter is slowly joining Facebook as another major social-networking site. A hybrid between Facebook status updates and blogs, Twitter allows users to give quick 140-character updates, or “tweets,” about what they’re doing, post interesting links, or respond to someone else’s tweets.

Phil Martinez, Lawrence resident and KU alumnus, says the simplicity of Twitter makes it worth it.

“I don’t want to look at pictures or interests or whatever,” he says. “I just want a short answer about what’s going on with people. Facebook takes the fun out of that.”

Martinez, who uses Twitter via text messaging, says that unlike other social-networking sites, Twitter allows users to specialize the groups of people they follow, or “friend,” which creates a much smaller network online.

Though Twitter offers a relatively small community, the number of users is growing rapidly. Nielsen Media Research reported that Twitter has now surpassed Facebook and others to become the fastest-growing site in the “Member Communities” category for February. Twitter increased 1,372 percent in one year with 475,000 unique visitors in February 2008 to 7 million in February 2009. These figures represent only usage on Twitter.com and do not count the dozens of Twitter applications for cell phones and computers.

Unlike Facebook status updates, tweets do not require logging on to the Internet. After setting up a Twitter account, users can select whether they want to activate their tweets on their cell phones and send and receive tweets through text messaging, which makes connecting to others even faster.

Businesses and organizations are not holding back from jumping on the Twitter bandwagon, either. Twitter is a great avenue for free advertising and an easy way to connect with their customers. The Los Angeles Fire Department uses it to alert communities about fires in the area. Zappos.com requires all 252 members of its staff to have a Twitter account and employees use their tweets to get feedback from customers. Martha Stewart posts tweets about craft ideas and what her pets are doing. Ellen DeGeneres tweets about upcoming guests on her show and about her wife.

Local Burger, 714 Vermont Street, uses Twitter to promote specials and post links to articles pertaining to their business. Southwest Airlines posts ticket specials, flight delays and travel advisories and uses the site as a medium for customers to file complaints.

Leo Hayden, a Lawrence resident and artist, uses Twitter for social and professional purposes. He uses tweets to keep in touch with friends, but also to promote his paintings by linking to video slideshows of his painting processes. He also appreciates the simplicity of the Twitter interface, compared to other websites.

“I compare sites like MySpace to Hollywood: all glitter and special effects. With Twitter, you have 140 characters to say something, so you actually have to say something—there’s not anything blinking at you,” he says.

Another major difference between Twitter and other websites such as Facebook or MySpace is that many members of Twitter communities meet in person. Local tweetups are gaining popularity across the country and people become real-life friends with those they follow on Twitter.

Ben Smith, Lawrence resident and founder of Lawrence tweetups, regularly spends time with those he follows on Twitter.

“If I’m walking down the street on my way to a bar or restaurant, I can just send a quick Twitter update to let people know where I am. People will reply quickly and we’ll meet up for lunch,” Smith says.

Chris Thomas, Lawrence resident, was on vacation in Florida when he sent out a casual tweet to meet new people while he was there. Several people in the area responded and they all met for drinks.

“I had never met those people in my life, but it wasn’t awkward at all,” he says.

But the appeal of Twitter reaches further than just talking about what you are doing. Nancy Baym, associate professor of communication studies, says Twitter gives a unique sense of recognition and attention by putting every move or thought on the Internet.

“People have used the phrase ‘ambient intimacy’ to describe Twitter,” she says. “It gives you a certain sense that you have all of your friends around, plus the opportunity to meet new people. It’s kind of like being in a super sociable hallway where lots of people are walking by and chatting to each other, but you can do it on the margins of what you’re doing anyway. “

So what makes a good tweet? Briana Saunders, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, senior, says including a link to an article or picture, posting something funny, or asking a question makes a good tweet. Saunders manages the Twitter account for Student Union Activities and gets paid to blog about Twitter for her brother’s social media website, in addition to tweeting for social purposes.

“I tweet while I’m walking to class, listening to my iPod, in between sending texts,” she says. “Everyone’s going to have a Twitter soon, just like everyone has a Facebook.”