Google has added several new features to its lineup to help computer users access and search the public archive of Twitter tweets and increase your Twitter friends. Whether you are searching for information about a particular political event , want to help victims of the Haitian earthquake or simply want to re-read that famous quote by a well-known celebrity, Google’s new Replay feature allows users to find out what people were tweeting about on any given day with the simple click of a mouse button, search old tweets or add new friends to your Twitter account. And Google’s Follow Finder helps Twitter users make new friends.
Google’s New Replay Feature
Just in case you think you missed an all-important tweet, Google’s new “Replay” feature is a real-time search that allows users to search for tweets for a specific date and time using specific keywords or topics. Users can research or reminisce about particular events on any given day or moment.
To use, simply type in a keyword or phrase in Google’s search box. Select the “Show options” link at the top of the search results page and click the “Updates” link located on the left. Tweets from that particular time-frame will be displayed in the search results page. A simple-to-use timeline chart will be displayed at the top of the page showing the volume of activity on the particular topic. For instance, if a flurry of activity on the timeline occurred on April 13th at 6:00 P.M., click on the timeline to take a closer look.
Currently, users can only replay tweets on Google’s search results page that date back to February 2010. In the near future, users will soon be able to access tweets from Twitter’s inception, March 21, 2006.
Google’s Real-Time Search
Last year, Google announced its plan to integrate Twitter tweets into its real-time search results. Just type in a word or phrase into Google’s search engine and tweets will appear in the results in real time. Since the feature began in December, Google has also added content from Facebook, FriendFeed, MySpace and Buzz to the real-time search feature.
Google’s Follow Finder
Google’s new Follow Finder tool, released by Google Labs, is another new feature for Twitter users. Follow Finder helps users find more followers by analyzing public social graph information on Twitter. After all, one can never have enough friends or followers, right? To begin, simply enter your Twitter username and search. A listing of fellow Twitter users is displayed in two columns – “Tweeps you might like” and “Tweeps with similar followers.” To follow someone on either list, simply select the “Follow on Twitter” link and the person will be automatically added to your list.
U.S. Library of Congress Archives Public Tweets
In March, Twitter began donating its digital archive of public tweets to the United States Library of Congress. The helpful and informative archive provides a brief snapshot into yesterday’s historical, catastrophic and every-day events that people from all over the world were tweeting about.
Google’s new features integrate tweets into its real-time search results, help users find tweets from the past and help users expand their personal Twitter network too.
Jace Shoemaker-Galloway - +JaceShoemaker-Galloway is more than passionate about online safety awareness. She has devoted and dedicated over five years to Internet ...
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