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I have to admit to feeling just a little uneasy as the projector warmed up and I logged on to my various social media personas. I certainly take steps to be very careful about content I throw online. Regardless, volume makes you worry about some off-hand remark hanging out there in the chatter. The evening before, for example, I had been bantering on a chat session with another participant about sustainability and agriculture. Had I said something dumb? Something that might offend this particular group?
Personal reputation management was very much on my mind.
The tour turned out just fine. We’re having a follow-up call later this week. An attorney in the room pointed out, though, that it’s just a matter of time before someone’s tweets (messages) on Twitter become evidence in a trial. Most likely, it has already happened.
I remember an editor once telling me, “Never write anything down unless you’re willing to have someone read it.”
Later that became, “Never send an e-mail you wouldn’t want your mother to read.”
Now I guess the adage is, “Careful what you post. Once it’s out there, you can never take it back.”
Sure, it is ideal to keep in mind that what we type online is lasting and can be used in ways both positive and negative no matter the situation. However, one can say that a person’s opinion and stance shouldn’t hold much weight at only 140 characters long. We don’t solve problems, or have debates, with only a few words. Obviously this is getting to be a tad verbose, but better to have explain this than have it confused for a small “twit”.
I agree that the 140 character format is frustrating. I’ve been on a number of “discussions” with same. Regardless, what we put out there stays out there.