• it’s a very simple way to keep in touch with friends, colleagues, cohorts, customers and users • it’s a very direct, open and efficient way of reporting on conferences or projects • it offers powerful privacy settings; users can open their ‘tweets’ to ‘twitterers’ of their choosing • it can support communities of practice • it supports ‘metacognition’ – the practice of thinking and reflecting upon learning • because of the SMS-like limitations on length but a very public display, it forces twitterers to be brief and to the point - an important skill in thinking and communicating clearly.