Fight spam
Internet culture expert Clay Shirky (@cshirky) has said that online social systems are, by definition, "stuff that gets spammed." Twitter is no exception.
Twitter spam comes in two primary forms: random @messages and random direct messages. If you receive an @message from somebody you don't know offering a link to a site that "will make you feel better" or a direct message suggesting that your ultimate happiness is just a click away, you've been spammed. Here's how you can fight it:
Follow Twitter's spam account, http://twitter.com/spam. After they've followed you back (which happens right away), DM them the name of any spammy accounts you encounter. They'll follow up, though they won't send you back a message. (If you need help with a non-spam problem, like a TOS violation or an impersonation, go to http://help.twitter.com and click Submit A Request.) If it's easier for you, you can also send email to spam@twitter.com with details of the spam tweet you received.
Block the spammer. Just head over to the spammer's account page and look on the right side for the Block link. When you block an account, it can no longer send you messages or see yours. In addition, Twitter keeps an eye on blocked accounts to see if they're spam.
Unfollow the spammer. If you're following the account, now's a good time to unfollow it. Go to the spammer's account page, and in the upper-left corner, under the picture, click Following. That opens a box where you can click Remove to unfollow.
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