By now, you're probably on Twitter.  Congrads.  There is stuff to be learned there, but you have to make some choices.  Am I using it for my personal life?  Limiting it to just those I can learn from professionally?  A mixture?  If so, how do I wall that off?  What type of tools should I download to get the most from Twitter?

Lots of things to consider.  Here's the big one - How much do I Tweet at work?  That depends on your workplace culture.  If you can't even access Twitter at work, welcome back to the Death Star.  Lando Calrissian is probably in the cube next to you.  Tell him I said "hey"...

Here's a rule that is easy to remember - don't use twitter when the boss is talking to you or at you.  Actually the rule is "never never never never never never never never never never never Tweet while your boss is talking to you".  Charile Villanueva of the Milwaukee Bucks found that out the hard way.

Here's the rundown on NBA tweeter Charlie Villanueva from the LA Times:

"So learned Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva after it came to light that recent halftime Gatorade and orange slices also included some down low Twitter action.  During the intermission of an eventual 86-77 win over the Boston Celtics last Sunday, CV slipped away to deliver the following message to the devotees of his "CV31" ID.

"In da locker room, snuck to post with my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

While some might consider it admirable that Villanueva took the initiative to channel his inner- and cyber- "Knute Rockne", Coach Scott Skiles wasn't digging it, and put the kibosh (banned twitter) on any further in-game "tweets."

So Skiles is talking to the troops getting ready for the 2nd half, and Charlie says, "I gotta go to the can", then is found leaning against the bathroom wall tweeting for his followers.  Hilarious.

Here's my list of times when it's appropriate to tweet in your bosses' presence.  As an ode to the Bucks, my examples are riffed in the style of Charlie V above:

5.  When someone's late for a meeting and you want to help- "in da meeting room with Dave G.  No DW 2B found".  

4.  When you need to ask a business question pondered by the boss - "talking 2 Dave G.  Who knows when the new Mac is coming out?"

3.  To suck up to the boss, but only if you mean what you are saying - "Dave's presenting.  Freaking brilliant".

2.  To build the brand through visuals - "talking about the non-profit market

<insert twitpic on non proprietary slide>"

...and the number one time when it's appropriate to tweet in your boss's presence...

1.  To let the boss know you got the coaching message (channeling Charlie V.) - ""In da bathroom, snuck to post with my twitt. We're down to the last days of da fiscal year, tie ball game after 11 months. Dave wants more toughness. I gotta step up."

Thanks Charlie!!