If Social Media advocates transparency, interaction and conversation, then why are people penalized for expressing personal opinions? The ultimate foundation of any conversation is the expression of a viewpoint, usually a personal one. But do we need to hear it?
A recent story about a PR professional offending a large client and the subsequent discussions about it (http://www.chrisbrogan.com/how-not-to-use-twitter/#comments) and (http://www.davidhenderson.com/2009/01/21/key-online-influencer/) bring to light the need to know your boundaries, personal and professional.
Where do we draw the line? At what point do we lose ourselves due to self censorship? At what point do we lose face for being insensitive? Of course, no one but comedians make money off of insulting people. It's just not good business to make your customers feel bad. But how far are we going to go to take offense?
In a conversation, both parties must take responsibility for their contributions. Perhaps, it's time for all professionals to craft their own "Twitter Policy". Think through the value of your opinion. Perhaps the litmus test is just that - does it add value in 140 characters? If not, maybe it's just better left unsaid.
As for myself, I do not Tweet unless I see where I add value. Letting my "followers" know I had eggs for breakfast doesn't cut it. So before you wind up a Twit, make sure your message is worth a Tweet. Copyright 2009 Leili McKinley.
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