See yesterday's report on the "China earthquake: Twitter didn't 'beat' the media - it was quicker," which nuances the AFP's report. Here, colleague Robb Montgomery from Visual Editors gives his own vision:

The world had real-time news about China's massive earthquake as victims dashed out "twitter" text messages while it took place, in what was being touted Tuesday as micro-blogging outshining mainstream news.

That is the lead of Glenn Chapman's China Earthquake report for AFP.

Twitter is being used by more media groups both as a channel to distribute breaking news alerts as well as as a way to monitor fluid news events like disasters and elections.

Do you Twitter?

Twitter is a Web service that allows people to post short messages to update their friends about what they are doing - in 140 characters or less. Why would you want to do that? Twitter is geared for mobile and you can read updates and post with your mobile phone, your blog or via Web browser. You can also direct message friends, control your notifications on a friend-by-friend case and much more. To try it for a month is to know it.

Why does this matter?

IM is a method of communication that came from the underground, teenagers. Understand that a generation of teenagers have used their AIM "Away Messages" to update their buddies about what they were doing or where to meet next. Short message updates is a normal dialogue mode for this demo group and Twitter picks up on that behavior and makes the IM practice more practical, and powerful. We read stories now all the time about how younger people get their news from their friends. And when they do, they often get that news through status updates and the passing of Web links. I have dabbled with my Twitter account (Follow me!) over the last six months and have found it to be a useful way to connect with my global community of peers. For example, the most recent posts shown below are from my twitter stream (using a twitter widget that gives me the programming code to place into my post here)

 

Instant, means breaking, mobile means everywhere in the world.

Like AIM (Or any other Instant Message service) Twitter lets you update your 'AWAY MESAGE" or PRESENT STATUS" and invite your inner group of friend to "Follow" you anytime, anywhere. (You can share your micro reports either publicly or privately.) And when big news events happen, the local twitter community instantly become the eyes and ears on the scene. Some people predict Twitter will become the next Facebook phenom. It is fun and has real potential as a source as we start to get more journalists to understand the service and how people are using it. One thing that makes the service extra useful is that Twitter give you tools to put your tweets in your blog or any Web site.

Your blog or news site can post Tweets as well

You don't have to use the service to post micro thoughts as it was designed - you can have your blog feed into your Twitter stream as well. (I use Twitterfeed for this) And, if you wish, you can also get a widget that will show the updates from all the people and blogs who follow your Twitter feed. For example: Here are latest updates ( or "Tweets") from followers in the Visual Editors community.

 

 

Now, if you cruise that list of 'tweets' every now and then, you just might learn something or hear of a breaking news event ahead of everyone else.

So who wants to "Follow me?"