Maybe it was actor Ashton Kutcher’s bid to draw more followers than CNN. Maybe it was Iranian protesters using the best means of communication they had. Maybe it was a headline in a newspaper like this one.

Whatever the case, you’ve probably heard of Twitter, the microblogging website that allows anyone and everyone to share their news with others – as long as it’s less than 140 characters long.

Unlike conventional blogs or websites, Twitter doesn’t offer a multitude of features. Unlike social networking sites like Facebook, there aren’t a plethora of options to share media with your friends.

Don’t waste time. In the land of Twitter, short and pithy content rules.

Perhaps because of its ease – anyone can set up an account in minutes – Twitter has become the go-to site for celebrities, politicians, businesses, nonprofits and news outlets. Anyone with something to share can do so.

But if you’re still not sold, if you’re still a bit uncertain about this entire notion of “Twittering” and “tweets,” just browse through this page. We’ll show you how to get started, some accounts to check out (including the Monitor’s own) and what this new form of communication means.

So dig in. We’ll tweet you later.

How to tweet

Getting started on Twitter couldn’t be simpler.

Go to Twitter.com. There’s a green box on the website’s front page that reads “Get started – join.” Click on the box and you’ll be prompted to create an account. You’ll need a user name, password and an e-mail account.

Once you’ve entered the information, click on “create my account.” Twitter will ask if you want to search your e-mail address book for already-tweeting friends. You might be surprised by how many there are.

You can then choose to “follow” them; their updates will appear on your Twitter home page. Or just ignore them. Perhaps they deserve it. Whatever you decide, you’ll soon be on your very own Twitter page. A big white box beckons, situated under a simple line of text: “What are you doing?”

Once you answer that question, you’re on your way.

Follow us

The Concord Monitor tweets as well.

Several staff members regularly update the newspaper’s account, which offers links to well-read stories, peeks at the next day’s news and other items of interest to the Twitterverse.

A growing crowd follows us, and you should too. Check us out at twitter.com/ConMonitorNews

Local tweets

Here are 10 Twitter accounts kept by local organizations. Check them out.

twitter.com/CurrierMuseum
Currier Museum of Art

twitter.com/piercelaw
Franklin Pierce Law Center

twitter.com/FreeStateNH
The Free State Project

twitter.com/flymanchester
Manchester Boston Regional Airport

twitter.com/NHDOC
New Hampshire Department of Corrections

twitter.com/nhfilmoffice
New Hampshire Film and Television Office

twitter.com/NHFoodBank
New Hampshire Food Bank

twitter.com/nhpr
New Hampshire Public Radio

twitter.com/whitemts
New Hampshire’s White Mountains

twitter.com/NHTI
NHTI: Concord’s Community College

There are tons – and we mean tons – of local arts organizations and nonprofits using Twitter. If you have a regularly updated account for your group, let us know. We’ll run it on a future Friday page.

E-mail features@cmonitor.com.