Twitter gone bad

They are to be heard issuing the infamous words - 'Do you know who I am?' all around town. Of course the temptation here, as always, is to offer to help them remember - but seriously this is wrong on so many levels.

As a journalist and columnist this rule was one I learnt at the outset of my career - don't use your position to threaten people. I saw this in action once whilst meeting an editor at a coffee shop to discuss a story. The editor, who had her young daughter with her ordered a toasted sandwich and asked the waiter to put it on two plates so they could share it. I should add this was a really larney Hyde Park Shopping Centre joint.

The red-faced waiter shuffled back and apologetically said they couldn't do this - it was against their policy. With this the editor in her loudest voice, for the benefit of all the other diners, said 'Do you know who I am'... She went on to mention the very well-known ladies magazine for which she worked. With that the owner arrived at our table to tell her he didn't give a flying fig (we can't swear on Bizcommunity) who she was, that was their rules and she could take her threat and shove it.

I sat there trying to signal by my horrified look that I wasn't really with this person, even when she upped and left. Naturally whom she worked for at the time, many years before social media, didn't matter as they would never have printed a story on the fact that she'd been treated badly over a toasted sarmie.

Then... and now...

Today however it's a different story and we all know the wonderful but equally terrifying power and speed of Twitter. So how do we look at this threat in terms of reputation management?

Well, for a start there's no point pretending Twitter isn't there and waiting for someone else to tell you when your company's trending - and not in a good way. If companies don't know what's being said about them in the world of Twitter, by the time they find out it could be too late...

The really terrifying thing is that even if someone prints a false story, or even worse uses a false Twitter tag by the time this is rectified it's too late. The story has long gone - but done its work.

Recently I heard about a well-known Tweeter who has an enormous following and who, when he felt he wasn't receiving good service from a motor company used 'the Twitter threat'. Now I'm not saying the company possibly didn't deserve it but we only have his word on this, right?

Before you send off your dazzling riposte... DON'T!

In 'real journalism' at least the other party has a say or right of reply. That's media law! With Twitter you're just getting one side and as we know when we're angry we can say all manner of things that we possibly regret later.

Some of the best advice I've ever received was not to respond or shoot off an email when I'm angry at someone - rather wait, calm down, rethink and then write. I'm sure most of us can relate to that. We've all had moments when we've wanted to tell clients to **** off... But then we work out what the financial ramifications of this would be and decide to have a coffee with the client and discuss why we're unhappy.

It generally ends well with everyone friends again and another year's work in the bag.

So as there's no official Twitter Code of Ethics - just the fact that more and more people are getting fired or ruining their reputation, it's a case of think before you Tweet... And no matter who you are, don't abuse your Twitter power.