Update Your Twitter Status from Firefox

Overview

While the "native" Twitter interface is functional, it is lackluster when it comes to speed-of-use and intuitive usability. Additionally, while the interface succeeds in a single-account state, many users today have use multiple accounts for work, school, hobbies, projects, etc. ul.timate.info offers users more intuitive contextual controls and the ability to fully use multiple accounts within the still "native" browser-based Twitter experience. This significantly enhances the core experience making Twitter usage even quicker and easier. ul.timate.info users can update their Twitter status in several ways. They can do it via the Update Status window that’s available on any web page they visit, through the integrated command-line terminal interface, also available on any web page they visit, and, naturally, via the Twitter timeline/home page. Each method, including the native method on Twitter has been developed and streamlined to make status updates easier and quick than by using Twitter.com without ul.timate or using desktop apps like TweetDeck or Seesmic.

Why?

In the Fall of 2008, as I had just integrated the command-line interface into UltimateFacebook, I added a command to quickly update Twitter. As I used it more and more, it made perfect sense to add it to a modal window that could display on any page for people interested in using the functionality, but not interested in using the command line. As I built in the modal window access, the next natural step was to add multiple account support.

How to Use

1. Modal Window – Right-Click
   • Right-click anywhere within the web browser screen
   • Scroll down to "Update Status/Share This"
   • The "Update Status" window will appear
   • Enter the text of your status update
   • Check/Uncheck the boxes of the Twitter accounts you want to update
   • Click the "Update Status" button
   • As status updates have been successfully posted, the progress window will update
2. Modal Window – Quick Keys
   • Hold down the SHIFT and OPTION keys on Mac (SHIFT and ALT keys on PC) and press the ENTER or RETURN key
   • The "Update Status" window will appear
   • Enter the text of your status update
   • Check/Uncheck the boxes of the Twitter accounts you want to update
   • Click the "Update Status" button
   • As status updates have been successfully posted, the progress window will update
3. Terminal – Right Click
   • Right-click anywhere within the web browser screen
   • Scroll down to "View Terminal"
   • The ul.timate.info Terminal will appear at the bottom of the screen
   • Enter the text of your status update
   • Hit the ENTER key
   • ul.timate.info will update your default/home Twitter account with the status
4. Terminal – Quick Keys
   • The ul.timate.info Terminal will appear at the bottom of the screen
   • Enter the text of your status update
   • Hit the ENTER key
   • ul.timate.info will update your default/home Twitter account with the status
5. Native Twitter timeline – Right-Click
   • Right-click anywhere within the web browser screen
   • Scroll down to "My Twitter" and scroll over to the screen name you wish to update
   • ul.timate.info will take you to that user's timeline
   • Enter the text and update status as you would normally using Twitter
   • When you've entered the status, simple hit the ENTER key to submit