Be Careful What You Tweet!
There is amazing power in the 140 character micro-blog posts that we have come to know as tweets. These tweets have demonstrated the power to get people fired, caught cheating, NFL players fined, job offers cancelled with a “Thanks but No Thanks!” and countless other negative outcomes. These negative outcomes were all outside the purview of the Twitter user’s original intent.
In my humble opinion, there should be some thought that goes into each and every tweet, because once you hit post, those tweets find themselves in the Twitterworld forever. The delete option for your tweets is almost as comical as the rescinding of an e-mail– it doesn’t work. The moral of the story is Be Careful What You Tweet.
Anyone can do anything with your tweets and even without your permission. I see tweets all the time that fall into the category of what I call questionable. I imagine that most of these people wouldn’t want their mother, pastor, boss or children reading some of their tweets. Everyone should have their own internal tweet filter, that aligns with who they are. My filter is simply asking this question “Is what I’m about to tweet disrespectful to God, My Family or My Role as a Pastor?”
A couple of weeks ago I found out that one of my tweets was featured in a front page story of one of our local newspapers. The front page story titled “Gimme That High Tech Religion” and the featured article was “Metro churches turn to technology to spread the good word.” The scary thing is the tweet that was featured had been sent almost a month before the article was featured. I didn’t have any idea the tweet was going to be used. The article by @malenalott was well written and the featured tweet was very positive, of course it was remember the filter that I use for every tweet. Here is the tweet: “Just finished talkin w/ a guy having some marriage problems. I digg providing tools & steps: God, Communication, Comittment, Date Nights…”
Consider using the GAP filter for your tweets. That doesn’t mean put on GAP clothing before you tweet, but rather ask this question: “Is my tweet Genuine, Accurate and Positive?” The bottom line is Be Careful What Tweet, it may end up on the front page of a newspaper, fired, under investigation or worse. It could lead to death, here is a story of how a persons Twitter Message Led to Murder.
Be Careful What You Tweet!
P.S. The Library of Congress archives all of your tweets.
Do you think about the repercussions of what you say online? Should your tweets be fair game? Do you use any sort of mental filter before you tweet?
18 Responses to “Be Careful What You Tweet!”
Great post,
love the GAP!
i’ve many times where i’d love to post up a rant – but much like that trip to a job interview… i think what if i cut off the guy i’m going to interview – if he recognizes me i won’t get the job…
likewise, i’ve thought if i would say the comment in public with my mom in front of me… that tightens the fingers a little…
Well, i for one know first hand that their are plenty of peeps out there that want your life and your tweets 2 help them write a book or a story or a song and put their name on it. So I agree watch what you tweet.
Your post comes at an ironic time. I wrote a blog post today about Adam Lambert and his Twitter “a-ha” moment (http://tinyurl.com/y8desfn) and his surprise that his tweets actually go out into the world. Yes, you are right, once a tweet is out there, there’s no going back in time!
Good stuff to think about before I tweet.
Excellent thoughts. My wife is one of my best filters – she’s willing to tell me, “Brandon, that’s just stupid…” in a nice way, of course.
Yes, I like the suggestions. I think, and I’m sure you’d agree, that this thinking has to carry over into our everyday conversation. Otherwise, twitter ends up being inauthentic, and that kills it.
-Marshall Jones Jr.
Absolutely. I have also seen some tweets from some high profile christian tweeters that I thought were questionable
Personally, I don’t send or retweet anything that is sexual in nature, even if meant as a joke. Wait. Especially if meant as a joke.
But here’s one thing you can’t guard against. What if someone creates a retweet of a fake tweet from you. Of course you’d have to print a retraction tweet to set the record straight, but the damage would already be done.
But of course it could also boost a tweeter’s popularity in the Twitterverse.
Hmm…
I think a lot of people fall pray to the anonymity of social media on-line. Especially new users in their excitement forget that it is them still ‘talking’ and not the avatar image. Unfortunately most don’t figure this out, that they can’t hide behind there twitter or facebook account, until its too late.
Great advice, and applies to all the social media (like my mouth). I have seen people tweet something (myself included), then it get auto-added to some other social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, or FreindFeed (or gossip). Bottom line, someone read it that the author had no intention of reaching (or hurting). Does it edify? Does it encourage? Does it represent those fruits in Galatians 5:22-23?
Give me that filter! And add my mouth to the application before I put my foot in it again.
God Bless brother, and Happy New Year!
I try to always re-read what I write/post online several times before I hit “post” or “status update.” I am part of a writing review site, and a few months ago, I wrote an overall positive review of a poem while I was sleepy. The poet wrote a scathing reply, and I realize she had misinterpreted some of my words. I had been so tired that my wording wasn’t as careful as it normally is. I apologized, and learned a valuable lesson from this incident: never write an email, blog post, review or comment without rereading, and never write anything while I’m sleepy!
Duncisms- LOL Having mom in front of you does change the game
Eastdallasalice- Uhh maybe, it’s all fare game, although there is some protection in the creative commons process.
Amber- just read your post thnks for the comment.
pdrobbers- thx for the comment
Brandon- My wife is definitely a filter on my tweets and posts etc.
bondchristian- I agree we need to keep it real, just lean to the positive side of real.
robphat- the fake RT has been done to several people I know, the good thing is that it doesn’t go to your followers, just theirs.
Robert- I think you’re right
scmc- good thoughts, thx for the passage of scripture
Laura- wow, I hope they showed some grace
Great post and great advice! I work with kids and am always trying to help them see what the consequences of their actions can be – this is a big deal right now with texts, tweets, IMs, Facebook posts, etc. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. Love the GAP
now u didnt hear or what??
Twitter link to US murder
I tweet only what I would say to a person face to face. If you can’t be authentic in your twitter then you’re just not authentic. As for people using it…well…let’s just say I came from media and I know they’ll use anything. I even know of a newspaper owned by Gannett that published false information and the editors didn’t care because the slandered party could “write a letter to the editor.”
Twitter is my main public forum (along with FriendFeed), so I’m careful with what I tweet. I tweet mostly what I want people to read, either informative or funny (with a few random personal things, Linux fortune cookies, and bizarre story ideas from the Script Frenzy Plot Machine — oh yeah, and my blog posts). I never go off the rails like some people who have blocked me on Twitter (like, say, Scott Baio), since I’m very aware that whatever I tweet is going out into the world and may end up getting printed in some article somewhere, especially if I get a book published (which I eventually will). So I say nothing I wouldn’t say in public, since when I tweet I *am* in public.
If only more people were more conscious of this and careful because of it, embarrassing incidents like Baio’s frequent outbursts might be less common. But some people are simply too clueless. As you linked above, one guy even got himself killed…
Excellent advice! (Note: I retweeted the link.