How do you make your status updates or tweets more readable? Some updaters and Twitterers suggest some dos and don’ts.

Alison Bailin Batz, Phoenix

DO:

Say what you mean: “Often Twitterers tend to think other people can read minds. I’m all for being funny, cute, perky and zany, but you gotta get your point across.”
Give them a hook — a tip, a laugh, a link: “On Cinco de Mayo, Sprinkles Cupcakes put out a tweet that said the first person (in the stores) to say hola! instead of hi would get a free chocolate cupcake. Brilliant.”

DON’T:

Tweet like some celebs: Reality star “Khloe Kardashian just tweeted that she threw out a pitch at a baseball game; didn’t say what game, what team she cheered for, no tweetpic. Yet she has nearly 130,000 followers.”
Post “anything you don’t want Grandma to see.”

Sheri Peterson, Santa Rosa, Calif.

DO:

Make unusual confessions: “I harbor secret fears that the Ghost Whisperer has some basis in fact.”
Be thought-provoking: “If Jesus friended you, would you friend him?”

DON’T:

Just give the Bible verse of the day: “Those who have nothing else to say in their updates are guaranteed a low response rate from anyone other than other Bible-verse updaters.”

Tom Cipullo, West Palm Beach, Fla.

DO:

Include interesting detail: “Post watching White House, which might be interesting, or watching Obama in White House from crawlspace in ceiling, which would be REALLY interesting.”

DON’T:

Speak in code: “Don’t leave people out of the loop by posting, now that’s what I’m talking about without letting us know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Use micro blog slang: “Most people don’t understand.”

Stephen Stewart, Sugar Land, Texas

DO:

Use complete sentences with the best possible grammar: “If you constantly confuse ‘your’ for ‘you are,’ then invest in an eighth-grade English textbook before posting updates.”
Post optimistic messages: “… and good tips on food, sales, books, movies.”

DON’T:

Share too many details: “Such as you are tired or constipated or angry at someone you can’t even name.”
Rant: Skip the “profanity that would make Christian Bale blush.”

«via USATODAY»