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If you followed the news out of Iran last week, you likely heard reports coming from the social networking site Twitter.

Twitter became such an important communication tool that the State Department asked the Web site to delay its scheduled maintenance so that Iranians could continue to exchange information and to tell the rest of us what was happening there.

With that, you might think that Twitter has solidified its position as an important news source in the public’s consciousness.

Yet, when I mention Twitter to friends, I usually get one of two responses: “What’s Twitter?” or “I don’t get Twitter.”

At its simplest, Twitter is a free site where people communicate to friends and interested strangers in short messages, which are called tweets. Each user can follow the tweets of as many people as they like.

But Twitter is much more than that.

I describe it as a 24/7 online cocktail party filled with interesting people of your choosing. You can move from group to group, engaging on different topics, listening quietly or speaking loudly. As at real cocktail parties, you meet new people, hear great stories, learn valuable things and have a few laughs. You can come and go as you please, and the party is always going on.

What does this have to do with news? Everything. It can serve as an alert system in hyperdrive. Breaking news comes via Twitter often more quickly than it is posted on news Web sites or on television.

As you might expect, the News & Record has a sizable news presence on Twitter. In separate accounts, we publish breaking news, political and government news, entertainment and environmental news.

Several of our government reporters provide live updates throughout the day of what is happening in their areas of expertise. For instance, Mark Binker, who covers state government in Raleigh, posted 19 tweets about our legislators’ activities Tuesday. Gerald Witt, meanwhile, provides live updates during meetings of the Guilford County commissioners.

(The next step for Twitter in the Triad will come when our elected officials Twitter during meetings. Don’t laugh: A Charlotte City Council member has done it, and several Washington politicians are on Twitter.)

For me, the greatest value is the conversation. I follow the tweets of many people in this area. They let us know what’s going on and give us tips about stories. I’ve asked them questions about our coverage and gotten substantive, thoughtful answers.

I grasped the value of the social network the first day I signed up. Someone from Knoxville, Tenn., asked the people following him — I was one — for names of photographers in Greensboro because he was getting married here. I was able to hook him up.

Several years ago, when we started blogging, some people said it was taking away from our reporting. That wasn’t true then, and it isn’t true with Twitter now. Actually, the opposite is true. Technology changes have complemented everything we do.

Twitter is yet another way to get information, to engage with interesting people and to have your voice heard.

John Robinson is editor of the News & Record. Contact him at John.Robinson@news-record.com or 373-7051. Join him in a conversation about journalism at www.twitter.com/johnrobinson and at The Editor’s Log at news-record.com.