Feb 20, 2009 - Claremont, Calif. - Harvey Mudd College news and events are now being broadcast via Twitter, the “micro-blogging” service that is enjoying growing popularity around the world.

Twitter is a web-enabled service that allows persons or organizations to post 140-character messages that can be viewed on the web by “followers,” or received on cell phones as Short Message Service (SMS) text messages. Typically, a message will include a link to a web page containing more information.

Twitter also allows posting of photographs and was credited with the return of a $20,000 bicycle that was stolen from professional cyclist and seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong during the Tour of California bike race this month. Armstrong was sending regular Twitter messages (known as tweets) to update fans on the race and asked for their help in locating the missing bike. His message read: “Whoa!! They just came to my room and said our truck was broken into and someone stole my time trial bike!... APB out to the twitterati.”

Getting a free Twitter account requires only a few easy sign-up steps. Once you have an account, choose to follow one or both of the HMC accounts: “HMCAlumni” (alumni news and events) and “harveymudd” (college-wide news and events). If you choose to follow them, you will receive updates as they are posted.