Method 1: Twitter website

This guide explains how to find and participate in a scheduled #autchat on the Twitter website.

Article Contents

Finding #autchat

  1. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create a Twitter account.
  2. Log in to your Twitter account.
  3. To find #autchat on Twitter, use one of these two methods:
    • Click this direct link to the #AutChat Twitter page, OR
    • Enter “#AutChat into the search field. Then press the Enter key or click #AutChat in the dropdown list that appears.

      Screenshot of the Twitter webpage search dialogue.
      Figure A3b.
      When the text “#autchat” is entered into the search box, the hashtag shows up in the results list.
  4. On the #AutChat page, choose the menu bar link “Latest” (it says “Live” in the screenshot, but Twitter has since changed their label—it’s the same thing, though). It is the second option from the left. This ensures that you will see all tweets tagged with #AutChat. (The default option is “Top” and only shows the top tweets with the #AutChat hashtag.)

    Screenshot of the #autchat page.
    Figure A4.
    To see everything tweeted under the #autchat hashtag, choose “Live.”

Participating in a scheduled #AutChat

  1. Make sure you have followed the instructions in the previous section, “Finding #AutChat”.
  2. Questions will be tweeted by @AutChatMod. They will begin with Q (for Question) followed by the number of the question. (Example: Q5 would be the fifth question in a scheduled #AutChat.)

    Screenshot of Q5 in an autchat
    Figure B2.
    Autchat mod @theoriesofminds tweets Q5 in a scheduled chat using standard formatting.
  3. There are two methods for responding to #AutChat questions.
    • Responding by reply:
      1. Use the reply option under the Tweet. It looks like an arrow pointing left.

        Screenshot showing the Reply arrow on Twitter
        Figure B3a1.
        The Reply arrow.
      2. A reply box will open under the original Tweet. You will want to delete the “@username” text that Twitter automatically puts in the start of your Tweet.

        Screenshot of an open Reply to Tweet dialogue
        Figure B3a2.
        Clicking the Reply arrow opens a new text area under the original Tweet. The username of the person replied to is already filled in.
    • Responding with a new Tweet:
      1. To start a new Tweet, click the icon in the top right corner of the webpage. It looks like a stylized quill or feather.

        Screenshot of the Tweet button on the Twitter website.
        Figure B3b1.
        The Tweet button on the Twitter website is located in the top right corner.
      2. A pop-up “Compose new Tweet” box will open. The rest of the webpage will get darker.

        Screenshot of the Compose new Tweet dialogue
        Figure B3b2.
        Clicking the New Tweet button opens this dialogue.
  4. Regardless of which method you choose, your answers to #AutChat questions should always include two elements.
    • The letter A (for Answer) followed by the number of the question you are answering. (Example: If the question you are answering began with “Q5”, your answer should begin with “A5”.)

      Screenshot of a reply Tweet.
      Figure B4a.
      My reply Tweet starts with the text “A5.”
    • The #AutChat hashtag. This will allow everyone else following #AutChat to see your answer.

      Screenshot of a reply Tweet
      Figure B4b.
      My reply Tweet ends with the text “#autchat”.
  5. It’s also fine to respond to other #AutChat participants’ answers during a scheduled chat. Just remember to tag your Tweets with #AutChat!

Note: You may need to refresh periodically to read new tweets. If you are using Chrome and having to manually reload to see new tweets, you might have “background tab throttling” enabled, or it might just be Twitter.