TweetDeck - multiple accounts

A few people have asked recently how to set up (and manage) multiple twitter accounts. This is mainly in the light of #twittereducator and @tweetingeducatr, but I've been running two accounts for a bit (I know many others are too).

Step by Step guide... (Pictures will follow)
1. Set up a 2nd (3rd, 4th) account on twitter. Please remember all usernames and passwords!!

2. Open Tweetdeck. Click on "Add more accounts". It's one the Top left of the page, next to the blue icon with your Avatar on it.

3. When the Tweetdeck settings page appears, Click on Add new account, and choose Twitter. Type in the details, and CLick Verify. Simples.
4. You will get a grey icon at the top, next to the blue one. Whichever one (or ones) are blue, you are tweeting from, if it is grey, it is not active. When you add columns, you'll be asked for which account.

5. Replies are automatically sent from the account you are replying too.

Questions?!! Like I said, a bit of a rush!

Why I Tweet...

Quite a lot of people laugh at me for tweeting. My wife thinks its a bit silly, and most of my team don't see the point. The one member of my team who has joined hasn't tweeted since June 9th 2009, and that was only his 4th tweet. I want to share how I got started on twitter, and why I think it is a good thing. I realise it is probably preaching to the converted, but if I can point people here when they ask about it, then maybe they might be convinced...

Almost by chance, if I'm honest. I'm a big fan of Radio 4's friday night comedy, and usually download it to listen to at the gym. One week on The Now Show Mitch Benn sang one of his songs about wanting to be king of twitter, and beat Coldplay and Stephen Fry. I'm usually all for jumping on a bandwagon, so signed up and followed him - that was March 21st 2009, according to http://www.whendidyoujointwitter.com/!

I soon got bored of following celeb types, although the news feeds have stayed. I soon found my brother, with whom I communicate more through twitter than sms or phone calls, and then next 'fad' was twatching. It started with Britains Got Talent, and the tag #bgt. It feels more like watching at a giant pub, but from the luxury of your own sofa. Torchwood Children of Earth (#coe) was next, and of course more recently #xfactor. #theapprentice should also be in there somewhere. Tweetdeck makes this all too easy!

I know many people have more than one account - one for 'work' stuff, and one for 'fun'. I'm reluctant, as I see twitter as a big staffroom. I will talk to work friends about what I saw on TV, but need to remember not to get to carried away (thanks to tweeps who reined in my excessive #jedward slating).

Somewhere along the line I started following and interacting with maths teacher types, and then other teachers, and it has snowballed from there. That's the trick, I think, to have the patience to get to the stage where it does snowball, and you find the right people to not just follow, but interact with. Having been involved with #movemeon has made me feel useful - that I have something to add to the discussion, and eventually I hope to be putting as much in as I take out, but I'm not there yet. The number of ideas I've shared with colleagues, and classes that I would not otherwise have known about, from Interactive Volcanoes to WallWisher and MathsMaps, and all of the 'Interesting Ways'.

Targets for 2010 -
Convert at least 1 colleague.
Add more take less.
I know the second one isn't a smart target, but then this is for me, not a performance management interview...

Happy New Year.