Twitter - for the uninitiated . . .

Following a request for help on understanding Twitter from Clare over at Battlements of Rubies, I realise that explaining how Twitter works to the uninitiated is a bit like that old (but still very amusing) joke about explaining the rules of cricket to a foreigner.

When you first look into Twitter and what it's all about, if you're like me, you search for an account and look at their timeline (list of Tweets from the account holder in chronological order).

If you don't have an account yourself yet or have an account but are not 'following' many people then it looks like some sort of 'gobblydygook' as you will see a lot of disconnected statements some of which you can probably tell are replies to something or other.

To get the whole picture you need to be able to see the Tweets of the people the account holder is talking to.

Like many things, the best way to 'get it' is to set up an account and begin following people. As you become more familiar with how it works and more confident you'll find you naturally want to join in (at least, I think most people feel like that).

I would guess that most people have a spread of people they follow. A good starting point might be to add a few News sites like @BBCNews, @breakingnews and for Catholics how about @catholic herald, @lukecoppen @news_va_en? A lot of bloggers are also on Twitter; add some of your favourites to your 'following' list. You could add a few Twitter accounts of things you are particularly interested in; I follow a few sports sites; it might be politics (e.g. @number10gov), music, films, art galleries etc.

Twitter has jargon like any other social media. Here is a glossary of some of the more common terms. And here's the official Twitter version.

So, now you know your Tweeps from your twerps and your Followers from your stalkers, all you have to do is get Tweeting.

YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a day! It's been so exciting - I don't know what I'm going to do with myself tomorrow. Like a good book, you want to get to the end but then you wish it could go on forever!

After Mass this morning, the Pater Familias gave me an update on the score via the car radio as I was busy serving coffees in the church hall - two wickets had fallen - cautious optism.

We went straight out for a pub lunch afterwards - checked the score on my phone whilst waiting for food to arrive - no more wickets - getting a bit wobbly now.

Settled in front of the PC with TMS and live scorecard on, made sure radios were switched on in other rooms so not a ball was missed if I needed to move.

Fantastic spell with two wickets in quick succession - looking good.

Another wobbly patch as Hussey dug in.

Than a change of pace as the final wickets began to fall and it was all over. Fantastic!

Apart from going to Mass, what else have a I done today? . . . errrm . . .

Have you seen this?

I'm not usually a great one for stirring patriotic hymns/songs. I'm always slightly worried about the jingoistic overtones but couldn't resist posting this.

Come on England!

Fall of Wickets!

Heroes!!

Stuart Broad - 5 wickets!!

Graeme Swann - 4 wickets!!

I keep having to hold off publishing this post as the wickets are falling so quickly and I have to alter the figures above!

Update: Thanks to Mac for correcting my spelling. In my haste to publish I had mis-spelled Swann's name - corrected now.

Who'd have thought it? . . .

It's been a great few days for sport recently.

I'm definitely in the category of 'armchair sports fan'. The Pater Familias, when describing his attitude to sport says, 'I'm a doer not a watcher' - I, on the other hand have to admit to being very much a 'watcher not a doer' but I'm still enthusiastic about many sports.

It was exciting listening to Usain Bolt's amazing 100 metre run in Berlin recently and then again this evening when he broke another world record. We've had Andy Murray doing well in the tennis and the football team Number Two Son (both a 'doer' and a 'watcher') supports winning 5-1 last night plus newly promoted Burnley beating the Champions Man U!

Today saw the beginning of the final Ashes Test at The Oval. I'm always surprised when I hear of certain people being cricket fans - no reason to be, I know - I'm probably a very unlikely looking fan to anybody who knows me! Stephen Fry being keen on cricket seems quite natural - but Lily Allen? (pictured above at The Oval, courtesy of BBC Sport's website).

That's one of the things I like about cricket - it appeals to all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons.

Rain stopped play . . . well, it hasn't actually started yet!

Oh dear, I think it's not just the ground that's waterlogged - looks like these cricketers have forgotten which size and shape ball they should be practising with! Never mind, we won't put them straight just yet - they are the opposition, after all!

Missed it again . . .

As I got into the car to drive home, I switched the radio on to see how we were doing in the cricket as the 'near certainty' talked about yesterday morning seemed to be less certain by close of play yesterday.

I couldn't understand why it wasn't on Radio 4 or Five Live but realisation slowly dawned that it must be all over. Fearing the worst, I switched on the PC when I got home and got the good news - Oh, how could I have doubted!

I've been enjoying reading Mac's blog recently on the subject of her education into the Laws of Cricket. Sounds like she's had some expert teachers!

Oh, the youth of today . . .

I was a bit late back today as I'd arranged to have a coffee and catch up session with my amazing Goddaughter. I feel I've been very negligent in my 'Godmotherly' role and as she was home for a rare brief visit was really pleased to be able to see her. It also gave me a good excuse to visit the new Costa coffee shop locally (do we really need an excuse ?)

I don't know many 21 year olds who can talk for an hour about God's plan for them. Very inspiring to see the enthusiasm which just bubbles out of her and I'm sure she'll achieve great things with the youth ministry team she's involved with in Liverpool.

There's something about the more 'Evangelical' Churches (Anglican in her case) of any denomination that seems to appeal to young people and they seem to have no problem, not only in attracting young people to their churches, but also to hanging on to them. I wonder what the secret is?

Being a bit late home I missed catching the end of today's play at Lord's, and Strauss's century - never mind, there's always a chance of another century tomorrow :-)

It really is quite simple . . .

I've just been looking at Mulier Fortis and her post on having someone explain the laws of cricket to her, reminded me of the famous joke, 'Cricket as explained to a foreign visitor.' Here it is again for those who need reminding:

You have two sides, one out in the field and one in.

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in

and the next man goes in until he's out.

When they are all out, the side that's out comes in

and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in, out.

Sometimes you get men still in and not out.

When a man goes out to go in, the men who are out try to get him out,

and when he is out he goes in and the next man in goes out and goes in.

There are two men called umpires who stay all out all the time

and they decide when the men who are in are out.

When both sides have been in and all the men have out,

and both sides have been out twice after all the men have been in,

including those who are not out, that is the end of the game!

You see, it's quite simple really!

Surrey and cricket - they just go together . . .

When I saw this on a friend's Facebook I just had to post it here. Being both a Surrey girl and quite keen on cricket, especially the TMS brand with Aggers and co., it's an obvious choice. I hope you enjoy it too.