This Week On Twitter: The Smartest Social Network, Syncing Google+ And Twitter Security Tips

By Shea Bennett on July 24, 2011 8:30 AM

Need a little weekend reading? We’ve compiled our top ten Twitter stories of the week, which includes new research from Pew Internet on how users of Twitter compare to their counterparts on Facebook, LinkedIn and (even) MySpace, a look at the ways Twitter could further make newspapers obsolete, advice on using hashtags, how to sync your Google+ posts to Twitter and some tips for better Twitter security.

Here are our top 10 Twitter stories of the week:

1. Twitter Users Better Educated Than Facebook Users, But Both Dumb Compared to LinkedIn [STUDY]

The latest study from Pew Internet, looks at how “people’s trust, personal relationships, and civic and political involvement are connected to their use of social networking sites and other technologies”. Pew’s findings suggest that Twitter users are likely to be better educated than their Facebook brethren but, perhaps unsurprisingly, neither stands up particularly well against their LinkedIn counterparts.

2. Twitter, Facebook And LinkedIn: Age, Ethnicity And Gender Of The Major Social Networks [STUDY]

This week we looked closely at the latest findingsfrom the non-partisan “fact tank” Pew Internet, and their recent study, Social Networking Sites And Our Lives. In this final update, we’ll unveil the age, ethnicity and gender distribution of the users of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace.

3. 3 Ways Twitter Could Make Newspapers Obsolete

Newspapers have been hit hard with the advent of digital media, and it’s only the big ones that have recently begun to adapt by erecting paywalls for their digital content. Part of the reason is that services like Twitter report the news first, but an even bigger chunk of newspapers’ business could be captured by Twitter and eventually make them all but obsolete.

4. Twitter 101: Why Use Hashtags?

A hashtag is really just a way of categorizing your tweets so that they are part of a narrowed conversation and they’re easier to find in Twitter search. Of course, there’s a lot more to it than that, or else hashtags wouldn’t have been the most popular trending topic in 2010.

5. HOW TO Tweet Your Google+ Posts Automatically To Twitter

A big Twitter management app has just added connectivity to Google+ for those of you who want to integrate your two accounts.

6. When Should You Thank Someone for a Retweet?

The short answer is: never. But, as with anything social media-related, this rule can be bent and broken with a little know-how. Thanking someone for their retweet is a sticky issue on Twitter, but we’ve got some advice if you want to acknowledge those loyal followers who consistently share your stuff.

7. Twitter vs Facebook: Which Social Network Users Are The Most Active? [STUDY]

How frequently people use the different social networks? You’d think that fast-paced, real-time Twitter would rule this particular roost, as it’s oh-so-easy to dip in and out of the platform multiple times per day. But according to Pew, while Twitter is streets ahead of LinkedIn and MySpace, it’s Facebook users who are the most frequent users of their platform.

8. 5 Tips For Better Twitter Security

Privacy and security are two of the biggest concerns when social media, and rightly so. We’ve got five tips for you to improve your Twitter privacy, so you can tweet knowing that you’re secure.

9. How Is Google+ Like Twitter And Facebook? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Google+ is the newest social network on the block, and it’s gaining a lot of momentum. But it’s very much an unknown quantity for a lot of people, as many of its features are still being explored. If you’re just figuring out Google+, this infographic depicting the features that it shares with Twitter and Facebook should help.

10. Twitter’s Next Big Plan To Make Money Is…

Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo has big plans for his short messaging service. He’s hinted that advertising isn’t enough of a money-maker, and that Twitter leadership is considering tackling another business idea: commerce.

Also this week:

Twitter let go four key product managers
Jerry Seinfeld has finally joined Twitter, making a very bad-taste joke on his fifth tweet
When the Twitter founders first met Mark Zuckerberg to discuss Facebook possibly buying Twitter, things were a little awkward (to say the least)
Interested in using Twitter to find a job?
Is Twitter the most political social network?

Did you know we have a newsletter? Sign-up to receive a daily digest of all things Twitter, sent straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up for the AllTwitter Newsletter.