Tweet Without Thinking
Good article about accountability and Twitter here, by Nancy Messieh, entitled (funnily enough), Here's why all Twitter users should tweet with accountabillity and without the delete button.
Nancy talks about - in a nutshell - about how we shouldn't delete tweets/posts we regret, and highlights some examples from Nikon on Facebook and Kenyon Martin. "At the risk of sounding maudlin, part of the very fabric of our society is held together by accountability. You can’t do certain things because of the consequences. If we take away that sense of consequence online then we’re going back to an Internet of anonymous forums and trolling – I’m sure no one wants to be in that place again." She goes on to say, "It’s as simple as asking yourself – when you look at you timeline and conversations on Twitter – “Am I proud of every tweet? Is this how I want to be represented online?”"
Very true - to some extent. I don't believe in deleting tweets or posts which have caused upset, an uproar or any kind of discussion, even - perhaps especially so - if they challenge your point of view. It's cowardly, and in most cases, just makes you look like a bit of a fool. However, I'm certainly not proud of every post and tweet in my feed/timeline. I don't believe in thinking too much before each post and tweet* (of course, one hopes common sense - which Kenyon clearly lacks - will prevent really stupid tweets and posts). I love how similar to real life conversations it all can be, with the possibility of having your mind changed by your friends or your opinions challenged, and in order for it to be so, one needs spontaneity, discussion, and a few screw ups. If we were all so thorough in everything we communicated, life would be pretty dull.
*Of course, for brands etc things are a little different.