Key Twitter jargon: DM

Although messages on Twitter are public by default, the system does have a private message option. Private notes on Twitter are called "direct messages," or DMs, and they fit the usual 140-character mold. The tricky part is that in order for you to send a DM, the recipient has to be following you. Confusingly, if you're following somebody who isn't following you, he can DM you.

On the Twitter website, you can send a DM from the Direct Messages tab on the right side of your account page. From your Twitter home page, or from your phone, you can send a DM by starting a message with the letter "d" followed by the account name you want to reach (skip the @ symbol), and then your message. The whole package looks like the example here.

twitter tip

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