There are several different ways to monitor Twitter without having to install software, or use the twitter interface. (Also check out the hashtags page)
One is via an enhanced interface: Filttr is an alternative web interface to twitter (meaning it looks similar to what twitter looks like but adds some features, including live filtering, mouse over a link to see where it goes without going there. Filttr could be useful for keeping an eye on a story:
(also check out Twitscoop for something similar.)
Another is via hashtag services: A couple of sites/services worth checking out on my hashtag page
Another is via ‘real time search engines’ like crowdeye, a sort of fancy Google for tweets:
or Icerocket (click on the twitter tab) which is a fast way of searching tweets. Another is TweetMeme.
TweetGrid is more like Tweetdeck in that it lets you set up columns, but within the browser (meaning you don’t have to install software):
If you want to see trends—how popular something is, compared to others or compared to before–on twitter, check out Trendrr, TweetVolume, Twist or What the Trend?
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