ParentDishing with Twittermoms founder Megan Calhoun

Are you a mom? Do you Twitter? Would you like to meet other moms who Twitter?

Twitter is a social networking site that allows participants to engage in "microblogging." Twitterers post updates that may not exceed 140 characters; the trick is to be funny or engaging or provocative in as few words as possible. Other Twitter members can follow you and read your updates, and you can do the same. Twitter is like blogging, but faster and more concise and possibly more personal.

Twitter just might be the future of blogging.

One Twitter member, Megan Calhoun, saw an opportunity to bring moms together via the 140 character update; in September, she founded Twittermoms, an online community for moms who Twitter. Calhoun says that as with most mommy blogs, Twittermoms was born out of a desire to create community. "As a stay at home mom, you sometimes don't get enough adult interaction during the day. Twitter was great for connecting with friends, and I noticed a lot of moms on it – but no easy way to learn more about them, or make decisions about who would be really interesting to connect with on Twitter." Her husband joked that she needed to start a site to fill that niche, and so, on September 2, Calhoun did. "I added the URL to my Twitter.com profile and the next morning we had four members. A month later, membership rushed past 2,200 active members. A cool new mom joins every few minutes. It's been quite a rush!"Calhoun has worked hard to make Twittermoms a warm, welcoming community; she personally greets each new member, and reads their blogs and follows their Twitter feeds. But she credits the site's initial success to the members themselves. "Twittermoms are definitely social, and they are in a place where they feel comfortable to discuss whatever is on their minds," she says. "The quality of the discourse on the site has been top-notch – I'm often blown away by the conversations taking place on the site. People are really getting a lot out of the friendships they're making there. Twittermoms has become a success because of the members. These are smart moms who create valuable content, friendships and discussions – a place you want to return to again and again."

But Twittermoms isn't just about being social; the women who have joined are also invested in changing the world. They have created the Twittermoms Holiday Catalog, which will showcase the crafts and creations of Twittermoms members. The catalog will consist of descriptions that are 140 characters or less -- like a Tweet! It will go live on November 1 at the Twittermoms site. Calhoun estimates that, via Twitter, the catalog will be distributed to more than a hundred thousand people.

"As busy moms, it is hard to find time to communicate with other moms," Calhoun admits. "Twitter offers moms a way of communicating with each other in a quick and easy manner. It's a party line. You can drop in, listen or lurk, chime in if you want – it's really flexible. I think it speaks to the need women have to connect and build community. On Twitter, you can tap the collective knowledge of all your friends. Need advice? Tweet your question. Feeling frustrated? Tweet it. You'll get a supportive reply. It's magic. It really is."