RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS -- Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr - the Web is fueling society's digital hunger for real-time information and dialogue, and the Air Force Personnel Center and the Air Force Services Agency are serving up the first course.
Two Twitter accounts are currently being managed by the public affairs office here - AFCareers and USAF_Services.
Twitter is a free micro blogging site where users post messages, called tweets, in 140 characters or less, from a computer or mobile device.
To grasp how concise the text-like messages must be, the previous sentence used exactly 140 characters.
At www.twitter.com/AFCareers, people can track the latest program implemented; look for links to civilian job announcements; keep up-to-date with Wounded Warrior Care; and find out what's new for retirees.
On www.twitter.com/USAF_Services, cyber junkies can learn about special events; read up on the latest Year of the Air Force Family celebrations; and follow the transition of Air Force Crossroads to https://www.usafservices.com.
And most importantly, Twitterers can tweet back with their thoughts and opinions.
People have two primary avenues for viewing our Twitter feeds. They can visit each page randomly; or they can "follow" the accounts and have the most recent tweets flow directly to them when they log into their accounts.
As of Oct. 31, there were nearly 25 million Twitter accounts registered in the United States, according to a report from Quantcast Corp. Approximately 44 percent of the users self-identified themselves as being 18-34 years old. Those 35-49 made up the second largest percentage of users at 28 percent.
Within the Air Force, a significant amount of personnel are within Twitter's primary users' age: almost 40 percent of the force is below the age of 26.
As we look into 2010, the public affairs office will begin revving up their web presence using podcasts, Facebook and LinkedIn in a synchronized effort to keep Airmen informed of activities that impact their personal and professional lives. When these sites go live, they will be announced via Twitter and other marketing venues.