It's about time we talk about Twitter.

Twitter has taken over so much of our lives that it's too big to ignore. But what business is it of the entertainment section of the newspaper to write about a microblogging Web site?

Well, there isn't a single event in this city that happens without Twitter. And just about every concert and club promoter, DJ, gigging musician, comedian and theater troupe in Honolulu is on Twitter, using it to promote themselves and their events.

The Na Hoku Hanohano Awards? Twitter was there. And for the first time, an avid Twitterer was considered an official media representative. The recent Journey concert? Twitter was there with up-to-the-minute info on the concert. Last weekend's grand opening of the new restaurant/lounge Apartm3nt? Twitter was there.

Two years ago, if I had asked for press clearance to live tweet from an Eddie Vedder concert, his tour manager would have laughed in my face. Now, live tweeting from an event holds as much clout with promoters as writing a concert review that would be printed in the paper the morning after.

Nothing goes down anymore without Twitter.

I know people who spend more time on Twitter than they do watching television, and devote as much time to Twitter as they do going to the movies, or going out to eat.

It's entertainment 2.0. And it's here in a big way.

If you're like me, you're still getting used to the idea of Twitter taking over. It's certainly an adjustment, but so was learning how to use the Internet in the '90s. I was convinced there was nothing I could get from Twitter that I couldn't get elsewhere on the Internet. But I gave in — seriously gave in — about two months ago, and now I'm a Twitterer with a modest following.

It's possible that Twitter will be passe in five years. But for now, it's where it's at. (By "it" I mean communication, socializing, information gathering and dissemination and entertainment.)

Here's how I went from a hater to a follower, and how you can, too.

What is Twitter? Twitter is basically a global text messaging service. You send and receive short, real-time messages, using 140 characters or less, to and from the people in your network.

BECOMING A TWITTERER:

Step 1. Decide what kind of Twitterer you want to be.

Twitter generally serves four functions. Decide which function (or combination of functions) best suits you, then get started by signing up at www.twitter.com.

1. Keeping up with celebrities: You're a star-watcher Twitterer if you watch E!, read People magazine, and have a crush on Vampire Bill. This is perhaps the most frivolous use of Twitter, but Ashton Kutcher has more than a million followers, so you're certainly not alone in wanting to keep tabs on the stars. It's the closest you'll ever get to hanging out with Oprah Winfrey.

2. Staying in the loop: You're an information Twitterer if you like to be the first to know. The news that the Ilikai Hotel was shutting down broke first on Twitter. Want live updates from Iran? You can literally get up-to-the-minute Twitter reports from both news reporters and Iranian citizens on the scene. Information Twitterers like to share information — online links, insider news, even the opening of a new restaurant.

3. Social networking: You're a social Twitterer if you like knowing — even if it's just virtually — lots and lots of people. You have 7,000 Facebook friends, and you'd invite them all to your birthday party if you could. On some level, everyone who uses Twitter is a social networker, but if you're in this category, you love being connected to as many people as possible, even if it means being bombarded with mundane updates. You probably won't be in this category if you hate MySpace, or if you don't care to know that your co-worker had waffles for breakfast.

4. Self-promotion: If you like the idea of having an audience, you're probably a self-promoting Twitterer. These people use their messages to promote hobbies, causes, interests, etc. Business owners who use Twitter to communicate with customers or potential customers are also in this category, as are musicians and artists who announce upcoming gigs.

Now that you've determined what kind of Twitterer you are (I'm a combination information /star-watcher Twitterer), it's time to establish your network.

STEP 2. GROW YOUR FOLLOWING

There are people — regular people, not celebrities — who have thousands of followers. I don't have a particularly large following, but I did make an effort to grow my list, and it worked.

On a Friday at 1:38 p.m., I had 154 followers. That's small beans in the Twitterverse, so I decided to expand my network. I gave myself a deadline: 200 followers by noon Saturday. That was less than 24 hours to convince people (and myself) that I'm worth following.

By 3:30 Friday afternoon — two hours after embarking on my Follow Kawehi mission, I had more than 300 followers. How? It had nothing to do with convincing people of my follow worthiness, but it was more about becoming a follower myself. It's simple: Follow people, and they'll follow you back.

Right now, my Twitter following is at 540. That's not huge, but it's more than I had a few weeks ago. Plus, it grows by one or two people every couple of hours.

If gaining a following isn't a priority for you, then all you have to do is follow the people who interest you. Easy.

OK, so you know what kind of Twitterer you are, and you know how to build a following. Now you have to learn to love it.

STEP 3. EMBRACE TWITTER

Basically, you need to believe Twitter can change your life. Then you let it.

Get online and start reading other people's tweets (that's Twitterese for "messages"), and I swear you'll find someone worth following, even if it's just your own circle of friends.

No one's too good for Twitter. Visit the Tweet Congress Web site for proof. Or consider this tweet that rang out last weekend courtesy of the Israel Consulate in New York City: "Holy Tweet! Send ur prayers directly 2 the @TheKotel ! they will be printed on notes & concealed in the wall — a direct conduit 2 the divine."

I promise that's not a joke. (I verified the authenticity of the message and the Twitter account — I'm still a journalist, after all.)