The Five Twits of Twitter. Which one are you?

The Five Twits (Twitter users) in the known universe, in no particular order.

1. Consumer

A Consumer is a quiet user of Twitter. Following lots of tweeters, or just a few prolific ones. The Consumer takes in every tweet like she is reading a story. Perhaps she is. This Twit is not out to make a mark on Twitter, and may be in the early stages of learning what Twitter is all about.

2. Converser

A Converser is using Twitter to have conversations with like-minded people. The converser joins chats using hashtags and chirps in. The Converser uses the trusty reply button as though Twitter were email. He may even take full advantage of the Twitter messages system. This Twit is into interaction and collaboration.

3. Learner

The Learner is a follower who may also be a leader. She learns by clicking links inside tweets and reading blog post after blog post. The Learner takes new information and shares it with others or simply uses it to change her own life. The Learner loves to retweet new and exciting stuff. This Twit is looking for something, and is bound to find something else along the way.

4. Broadcaster

The Broadcaster is tweeting about everything and anything in his realm of the world. He tweets news, breakfast, blogs, and more. The Broadcaster is a disseminator of information and not always interested in reading other people's tweets. The Broadcaster has thousands, or tens of thousands, or millions of followers and may have multiple twitlings helping to post new tweets. This Twit has influence in the world, but that may or may not be a good thing.

5. Collector

The Collector is similar to the Consumer. She reads a lot, but she has a purpose. The Collector is here to gather information pertinent to her life and those she cares about. She collects blogs posted into Paper.li or Scoop.it accounts. The Collector knows how to retrieve old tweets with precision and coincidentally has the most organized bookmarks you have ever seen. This Twit may also have extensive collections of useful things in real life as well.

I would have to classify myself as a Learner with a growing trend into a Converser. To be fair, we don't all fit perfectly into one of these categories, and I undoubtedly missed a category or two, so I desperately ask that you share your thoughts on this list and add your own in the comments below! Happy Tweeting! @ashlandtechteacher

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Chad McGowan is a high school technology teacher and professional development specialist in technology. Over the past 16 years, Chad has taught a variety of math and computer course from 7-12. Since 2000, Chad has been guiding other professionals in technology by staying current and learning from those around him. Follow Chad on Twitter @ahstechteacher and through this blog.