when people use the # sign on facebook/twitter?

[Jollyflock698]

What does that mean when people use the # sign before saying something?

[Jason]

Those number signs are groups or topics of messages. I think they call it tagging. If you go to that topic directly, you'll see messages of everyone who included, or tagged, that topic in their messages.

Think of it as sending one message to many different conversations, on a global scale, at the same time.

Now when they use the @ sign. That's when they're directing the message at a specific person.

What follows after the @ or # sign is the name of the topic or person.