A group of women who are enthusiastic Twitter users in Thailand gathered yesterday afternoon for a "Tweetgirl" event hosted by The Nation's Suthichai Yoon (@suthichai) and Patee Sarasin (@Patee122) to meet and share online experiences.

There are many Tweetgirls - @ninanaka, @mynameisBe, @pataraporn_TV, @jomquan, @kaimookmtu2009, @sresuda (from Modern Nine), @pan-rephee (Channel 3), @mimee, @goople, and @maeyingzine.

TweetGirl conversations rec-ommend women join social networks like Twitter and Facebook but to study these new media and use social networking with caution; balancing their work and life over social networks.

Sutita Ruangronghirunya or 'Nina' (@ninanaka) said she had been using Twitter heavily for almost a year. Most of her "tweets" are about her life and job.

She feels that friendship is out there on the social network and she found a lot,including her boyfriend - Pachara Panyayong (@MJBank).

"The Twitter world is so nice and social and I am in everyday. I balance my personal life and work through the things I tweet. Contacts at Twitter are friends who do not take liberties with my friendship by using my tweet for specific purposes. It is a lovely online world," Nina said.

But she warned women who love being on online should keep their private lives, photos and information discrete.

For example, women should protect themselves by not giving their location when tweeting and should not give information considered too private - to keep them safe from strangers who might have bad intentions.

Similarly, Pitipat Jittanatum or Bee (@mynameisBe)- Patee Sarasin's girlfriend - agreed on the privacy and security concerns of women on social networks.

She said each social network - Twitter or Facebook - has characteristics users should learn first.

Facebook was more private than Twitter.

When women choose to "go Twitter" it's an open online world where they have to protect themselves by not giving out private information, which they can on Facebook.

"Staying on any social network is the same as in real life. Stay with caution and consideration. However, in my opinion, Twitter is a nice world where you can find a lot of friends and friendship," said Pitipat.

Women should keep a balance when online.

Pitipat said she balances life and work on Twitter at the ratio of 30:70 - reducing her life involvement because the number of her fol-lowers is so huge every person-al tweet impacts on her work as well.

Chutima Durongdej or Kaimook-Miss Thailand Universe 2009 (@kaimookmtu2009) said she uses Twitter as a two-way communication channel with her fan clubs that inspired her to open a Twitter account.

She said she balances her life with her fans, does not open up her private life too much, but she always shares her daily life with fans through tweet and photos.

"A private life will be yours as long as you do not tweet. Messages I tweet are ones I consider I want to share with my fan clubs," said Chutima.