Twitter, created in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, is a free social networking service with features that have been described as  a cross between blogging and text messaging. Users are able to send and read posts known as tweets, which are text-based messages only. They can be sent to followers via the Twitter website or through SMS (subject to service provider fees).

Unlike blogs, tweets are limited in length by up to 140 characters. This allows individuals to make quick and frequent updates about their daily lives. This is just perfect for people who want to blog, but who don’t have the time or don’t want to spend a lot time creating beautiful or lengthy posts. On Twitter, you can be very brief. You can, for instance, just say, “Visited Smithsonian Museum” or “Watched Terminator premiere. Star Trek was better.”

On Twitter, individuals can communicate and stay connected with family and friends. People can also connect with others they may not personally know, but who have similar interests. All people that read your microblogs are called “followers.” Users have the option of restricting delivery of their posts to their contacts, but they can also allow public access by disabling the privacy option. The first person to first get 1 million followers was actor Ashton Kutcher.

Twitter has revolutionized the way information is disseminated to an audience. Traditional media outlets such as CNN have already accepted and use Twitter to send news to subscribers. Twitter is also used for social media marketing. During the 2008 presidential campaign, Barrack Obama used it to send his messages out. Many business organizations have also adopted Twitter as a marketing tool to coordinate events or promote their products and services. And destination marketing organizations are quick to grab this opportunity by the horns as well, using this social networking utility to channel information or deals out into the world.

Looking for a Mexican deli with wifi spot in Oahu? Tweet it. Want to know where to find a good snorkeling beach on Kauai? Tweet it. When planning your Hawaii vacation, you’d be surprised just how many people out there are willing to help you turn it into a memorable and meaningful one. Through Twitter, you can get a mountain of travel tips, advice and recommendations from different organizations and individuals. They may come from a spa offering gift certificates, an airline offering discounts, or a local resident passionate about their favorite hot spot.

Twitter enables you and other people to connect with each other on a personal level. For example, the expert or brand representative can provide recommendations, such as where to dine or where to best soak in the sun if you do not like crowds. Why would businesses service customers personally?  Because by creating memorable experiences for their customers, businesses in turn get positive recommendations and so increase their business sales.

It’s not just businesses who are willing to help. Locals are a great source of travel wisdom as well, such as whether it’s okay for you to visit the Haleakala Volcanoes National Park when traveling with a pregnant wife. Because these exchanges on Twitter are published, it’s possible for people coming from different places and organizations to chime in and pitch their travel ideas.

Twitter is the quick, easy and cost-effective way of finding out what’s going on in your Hawaiian destination in real time. Just tweet your need there and you may get connected to your favorite hotel, restaurant, beach resort, travel writer, museum, or local resident who are all waiting to hear from you.