1. The hashtag
Originally intended as a way to sort topics on Twitter, the hashtag has become so abused that some people now use it in conversation. But the hashtag, like a lot of features that we now know on Twitter, wasn’t part of the original plan. It was proposed by Chris Messina, and Twitter rejected it as too nerdy. The community didn’t though, and now we have hashtags used - and abused - on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as that group of people who use them in spoken conversation (an annoyance on a par with adding “dot com”, by the way. It’s stupid.com).
2. The retweet
The retweet wasn’t an official Twitter feature either, but rather something users came up with to share others’ updates. Adding RT (or MT, if you modified the original tweet) was the only way to do it, until Twitter built its own retweet feature in 2009. It has now developed an official quote feature, which allows you to embed the original tweet into your post and add your two cent. You get your full 140 characters to play with too, unlike the original RT/MT.
3. The fail whale
‘Twitter is over capacity’. A common sight in the earlier days of Twitter when the number of people using the service greatly outstripped its capacity, the fail whale - a whale carried by orange birds - became a lot less common as Twitter developed as a platform. The fail whale was retired in 2013, with Twiter opting for a different image on the occasions that things go wrong.
4. #FF
Follow Friday: not a creepy pastime that could get you locked up, but the act of recommending various Twitter accounts so your followers can sign up for their words of wisdom. It’s not as common as it used to be but the #FF still makes a reappearance every now and again - in fact, the tag has been mentioned more than 539 million times on Twitter.
5. The notion of brevity
Ok, maybe it didn’t invent it but Twitter has certainly rammed home the point that you can communicate in 140 characters or less. Or has it? While some people have perfected the art of 140 characters, others have got around it by doing “continued” tweets that sprawl over several updates. Twitter has ditched the 140 character limit for direct messages: could the public tweet be next?
6. Kanye West’s Twitter account
If Kanye’s Twitter account shows even a fraction of what’s going on inside his head, then it must be a very interesting place. From hitting up Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for funding on Twitter - not even Facebook, mind you - to arguing with ex Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa and the crushing responsibility of water bottles on planes, Kanye is Twitter gold.
7. Live tweeting TV shows
Everyone needs to hear your opinions on TV shows, right? Hashtag your tweets and suddenly everyone interested in the topic can find out what you think of Love/Hate, the Walking Dead or Scandal in real time.
8. The Twitter Revolution
A term used to describe the protests and revolutions that used Twitter to organise and communicate. That includes the mobilisation of demonstrators in Egypt in 2011, which also saw Twitter used as a way to communicate with those outside the country.
9. Amusing spoof accounts
The speed with which spoof Twitter accounts are set up in reaction to unfolding events is impressive. When it emerged that a 120-year-old fresco of Jesus in Spain had been ‘restored’ by a parishioner in her 80s, the @FrescoJesus account appeared within days, opening with “MY FACE!!! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FACE!!!!!!” Things move much quicker these days, but they are usually short lived amusement. Twitter is filled with parody accounts, from Not Mark Zuckerberg and Pharrell’s Hat to Bored Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s hair. Some are funnier than others, but worth checking out is @tldrwikipedia and @sarcasticrover.
10. Endless death hoaxes
To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumours of many people’s deaths have been greatly exaggerated. Thanks to the social media platform’s reach, a rumour about the death of Jeff Goldblum can reach around the world in a matter of minutes. Patrick Swayze’s death was announced on Twitter six months before the actor actually passed away. Cher’s premature death notice was more misunderstanding than hoax thanks to the #nowthatchersdead hashtag that started after the death of Margaret Thatcher. Morgan Freeman, Tom Hanks, Jeff Goldblum, even Justin Bieber have all had their fake deaths announced on Twitter.
