Twitter This? I Don’t Think So!

I’ve gotten accustomed to reading a variety of tweets since I became very active with Twitter this past January. In between the obvious marketing blurbs and newsworthy items I have learned a lot about some of my fellow Twitter users including their business trips, flight details, conference highlights and assorted away from home tips.

But it seems that I’m not the only one following tweets so closely. Israel Hyman learned that his tweets may have led to his Mesa, AZ home being robbed this past spring when he and his family journeyed to Kansas City to visit his wife’s family. The police didn’t link his Twitter activity to the crime, but Hyman did based on all of the details he shared leading up to and through the time he was away.

Well, I just returned from a trip but didn’t even use Twitter once when I was away. I like Twitter, but there is something about sharing 140 characters worth of intimate details that turns me off. Okay, maybe you enjoyed your mocha latte this morning which is a harmless and fun statement, but there are times that I find other details twittered about people that I think are best left off of social media sites.

5 Tweets That Should Never See The Light Of Day

To that end, I’ve compiled a list of five things that I believe should never be tweeted let alone mentioned by people online. Sure, free speech is great but why supply more information about yourself than necessary?

Your Trip Details – What Israel Hyman experienced should be fair warning to everyone. People complain about their privacy being eroded due to the internet, but I blame web users for a good deal of the problem – if you like to Twitter about visiting a certain place, light up the Twittersphere with your comments after you have returned. Otherwise, don’t blame anyone if your home is robbed.

Your Family – In many cases, I know the names of Twitter user spouses, their children and in many cases their pet’s name. I get uncomfortable when family is mentioned beyond generalized terms for the simple reason that there is bound to be someone, somewhere who would love to have that information, but for all of the wrong reasons. Maybe I’ve watch to much of “America’s Most Wanted” which would explain my thinking, but there are enough cyber creeps out there who could do you or your family members real harm.

Company Problems – A sure way to get fired is to tweet about your employer, a client or someone else you have a working relationship with in a negative light. I’ve seen it done and wonder what point the twitter user was making. Whether the company caught the tweet or not I don’t know, but once something has been tweeted, it can be dug up forevermore. Find another way to vent!

Hashtag Spam – I haven’t seen it too often but once in awhile someone gets the brilliant idea that hashtag (#hashtag) spamming is a good idea. Gee, if you’re trying to sell a product unrelated to iPhones then why would you use that hashtag? Socialmediatoday caught a furniture company doing this very thing – I got to believe that the company lost customers as well as respect thanks to this practice.

Avoid Flame Wars – Tweeting is micro-blogging so it stands to reason that just like commenting on a blog, leaving comments on tweets makes perfect sense. But, unlike a blog which has a limited audience, tweets can be read by anyone, anywhere. So, if you plan on having it out with someone on Twitter, be forewarned that your tweet conversation can be followed and monitored by everyone. Show some restraint, avoid calling people names too.

Add Your Mis-Tweets Too!

I’m sure that there are other things that shouldn’t be added to Twitter, but I’ll keep these “fab five” on my list. If you want to add one or more of what I call “mis-tweets”, feel free to hit the reply button and let us discuss the matter!