Top 10 Ways to Get in Trouble with Twitter

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I’ve been Twittering for over 90 days now, and I must say it has been a great tool to build community instantly. While I’ve loved the positive aspect of Twitter, I must, in all fairness to those of you who are new to this social network or are contemplating signing on, share my experience with Twitter’s dark side. In case you’re wondering about my list, not all of it happened to me. Ok, most of the list is “loosely based” on my personal experience. Well, maybe all of it is. Ok, enough already. Here’s my top 10 ways you can get in trouble with Twitter:

10. Post fun tweets about your Vegas vacation and watch some crazy, anonymous fundamentalist jerk turn you into this money-spending, luxury-loving, pleasure-driven Satanist on his loser hate blog. (Do I sound bitter?). I guess what happens in Vegas should really stay there.

9. Post about a new time-sensitive initiative your business is about to deploy and watch your competition try to beat you to it. (You know who you are.)

8. Post a picture of your sister-in-law in a bathing suit. Enough said!

7. Post a mindless tweet about “making hard business decisions” and watch your entire organization get worked up into a frenzy.

6. Twitter about an anonymous “difficult client” and get calls and emails from 10 people asking, “Are you talking about me?” Yes, yes and yes!

5. Secretly twitter from the jury box during a trial. It’s fun until you get caught.

4. Twitter about leaving early from an event because it “gave me such a headache” and get a call later from the event organizer in tears caused by your insensitivity.

3. Twitter what you find cute or funny about your children only to hear “Dad, I can’t believe you twittered that! Isn’t anything sacred?”

2. Name a friend on a tweet who is supposed to be sick and in bed and watch him get a call from his boss during your two-hour outdoor lunch.

1. Twitter details of your anniversary dinner, including pictures of every course and then hear “if this were our first date, it would be our last.”

This is my list. What’s yours? Do share. I’d love to compile a list to share with Twits world wide.

  • I do love twitter but there are some definite things to stay away from. And just so I'm clear… you're saying, I should be twitterless for respect of my church family next week while in Vegas??? :)My two big troublemakers on Twitter:1. Using Twitter while your wife is in labor isn't so smart. It's funny at first but when the details come and your co-workers see your baby before other family… not so hot.2. Make "Smarty-Pants" remarks regarding other co-workers only to find out they are following you secretly.I know there are a ton more… can't wait to see this final list!

  • In my case I would have to change making smarty pants comments about your coworkers to making smarty pants comments about the calls you get. Because even if you don’t mention names, or get specific about product names or anything, people can still complain to your boss about how their feelings were hurt and you get in trouble. BTW, I’ll be subscribing to your feed, and I’m following you on Twitter now.

  • I love your list. Let's just see if you've really learned your lesson!Sometimes I run my questionable tweets by Pete first. He usually censors the ones that might push too many buttons.

  • Twitter about all of your ongoing projects except your biggie because you think it's on the QT only to find out the client is livid thinking you're not working on his project.

  • @brandiandboys I'm not sure I have learned any lesson yet, since I'm obviously, not a smart man. However, I'm moving in the right direction.

  • My confession. Twittering that a meeting is boring.Not a big deal unless the person leading the meeting gets your update on their phone. Oops.Not cool.

  • @Jason I'm not advocating going twitterless in Vegas for respect of your church family, but being aware that some people already assume that if you're in Vegas you're up to no good. Which we know it's not true. Just expect some people to take a hold of anything they can to make a case against you. They might not care you got the best hotel in Vegas for virtually no money and never even gamble once. All they want is to take you down. Man, I'm still bitter.

  • Don't Twitter on something that needs context. 145 characters can get you into deep poopy-grass by the Summize-combing Sandanistas who might be looking for a reason to bust you.

  • So essentially, Twitter (and your kids) remind us that words are sacred.So we should watch out because our words and opinions can really hurt people. And our words can be taken out of context. And not all honest words need to be shared.This list is great.

  • Great post, Maurilio. You play the martyr very well!The only conflict Twitter has caused for me is with my wife. She doesn't like that EVERY (her word) detail of our life is going up for the whole world to see. EVERY detail? Really?My other interesting observation about Twitter is that while my (and yours) Twitter updates change my Facebook status, for the most part the Facebook crowd just doesn't understand Twitter. I am constantly having to explain the difference.Finally, you left one off your list for you. It's related to the anniversary dinner, but has to do with the comment about after dinner and "other pursuits". TMI, dude. TMI…

  • I have to disagree with Jason: twitter will be perfect for our upcoming 4th child….we blogged through labor on the 3rd, and folks LOVED it. Of course it also spiked my hits, and Google decided to arbitrarily cancel my Adsense account (and keep my money)…Two things to be concerned with on twitter: wife and co-workers (present and past). I've not gotten in trouble (that I know of), but has caused me to either not twitter certain things or be alternating between very vague or very detailed, depending on the subject. Especially with side projects away from work…

  • I twittered the labour and birth of our 3rd child last week. No photos :)It was perfect – I was able to keep people updated, post a couple of moments when we needed prayer, receive really encouraging messages back from people and then celebrate together with them when Isabelle was born.

  • I have one for you Maurillio!One way twittering will get you in trouble is to post a note on your blog accusing one of the members of your client's of calling you "Satanic" when he never did that. Insert yourself into church conflict of one of your churches by criticizing a church member, calling them "fundamentalist", "crazy", and "loser", and having a "hate blog". And make sure you get bitter about a church member who points out your lavish lifestyle that YOU are broadcasting to the world. I'm sure your clients will really appreciate you using twittering and blogs to attack their church members.But keep 'em coming Maurilio! We at FBC Jax love to see how our tithes and offerings are spent as you jet set all over the country! Attacking members of your client's churches: you and Mac Brunson are two peas in a pod!!

  • awesome post! my tweet fub was a request for prayer for my sister who was going to the ER bc she was having complications w her pregnancy. my mom followed me secretly & didn't know my sis was pregnant yet, she only told me bc it was too early (9wks). my mom called my sister very upset, then my sister called me very, very upset. but it was out of the goodness of my heart, so she forgave me, but not quickly.i'll here, here the anniversary item. i've had friends complain about the texting issue w men they are starting to date… big turn off. read a post w/ intellect and humor on it at http://wonderfalls.wordpress.com – you may know her – Andrea Lopez, attends CP.

  • @fbcjaxwatchdogYou're mistaken. I was not talking about you. You have been nothing but kind and gracious to me. Take care good friend,

  • Thank you for the quick reply ….but which "hate blog" were you referring to Maurillio in your post? Who was the "fundamentalist" that gave you grief on their blog about a trip to Vegas? My blog did call into question your decision to make public your 6-head shower and your trips to the spa, etc…so your comment seemed to be directed toward me since I'm not aware of any other blogs out there that are giving you a little grief other than mine. Its OK if I'm the one, your comment doesn't bother me and I won't be bitter if you were referring to me.Sorry to ask this off-topic question: is there something wrong about being a "fundamentalist"? I gather that is not a term of endearment.

  • oc

    Where did my post go, Maurillio?

  • oc

    So you are one of those christians who don't want to answer the hard questions. Fine. At least say so at the outset, and let this be a blog where everyone kisses your donkey. But if you want to accuse others of being crazy, hateful, fundamental, or whatever, just be man enough to identify or apologize.

  • Maurilio,Your list is very funny. You know what else is funny? Everyone who has posted has a profile except….oc and fbc jax watchdog. How interesting. Come on oc and watchdog show us those pretty faces God gave you. Don't hide you light under a bushel

  • Billy – that is SO funny, you're right. What else is funny is a guy who is a consultant to churches, who on his blog accuses someone of having a "hate blog", at the same time calling someone a "jerk", "loser", "crazy", "fundamentalist"…and he does it at the same time cashing the check for his consulting fee from that person's church! That is HILARIOUS my friend!So who is the hater? I think it might be Marili-you-know-who-o

  • oc

    LOL! Yep, that's really hilarious "Billy Williams". How do we know that's your real name? "Billy" is short for "William". Now how probable is it that someone's name is William Williams?Now,do you want to keep chuckling and act as if your light isn't under a bushel?PS. You can post a picture of anyone, it proves nothing.Oh, and by the way, I also see that you don't have an email address. Talk about the "bushel" thing. Yeah, it is funny.oc.

  • oc

    And "billy williams", just so you know, that was a sorry application of Scripture.oc.

  • this is one of the saddest and pettiest arguments that i have heard carried on by two "christians" (and i have no doubt that you ARE christians and to some degree or another have good intentions it just doesn't come accross that way in your comments).and to answer your question, oc: "Now how probable is it that someone's name is William Williams?"well, at least three william williams come to my mind: william williams signer of the declaration of independence. william williams athor, poet & pulizer prize winner. and william williams business correspondent for the nashville city paper. so, i guess it is fairly probably.ps – if you google (www.google.com) <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=lpD&q=William+Williams&btnG=Search&quot; rel="nofollow">william williams (like anybody who's used the internet at least once knows how) then you'll find many other william williams!

  • OC – LOL?!? Did you really type LOL? – I mean OMG, like how old are you, like 13?As for the name it is Billy Williams, not William Williams (my son is William Williams) I would also like to thank Joshua for his very kind post. It is actually a very noble name (and my mom liked it). A second note on the name thing would be, I would think Maurilio to be more creative than “William Williams”It makes me sad for you “OC” that you are such a paranoid little man, or woman, or hobbit (we are not sure as you do not have a profile, which leads me to conclude that you are too busy in the shire shaving your feet to fill one out) that you would think me made up. So, as a point of ever reaching kindness, I will now assign names/personas to you and “FBC Jax” – I dub thee Gilligan and The Skipper, respectively.There, that is out of the way. We can now move on to proof of my existence. Follow this link to my “MySpace” page – I have even left a special greeting for you there. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/billeewilliamshttp://www.myspace.com/billeewilliams<br />I love you guys, or gals….little buddy!!!! LOL

  • @anon. There is no “get over it.” Have enough conviction about what you are writing to stand behind it. “Anonymous” is never a quotable source.

  • What you guys will soon learn is that neither Gilligan nor Skipper will ever sign their real names. I can just imagine what they are like in real life and can only conclude that from what they write–and that is scary! If you get bored, take a minute and read the FBC Jax blog and that will explain most of what and who they are. They are to be pitied and just imagine what is like for Mac Brunson trying to be their pastor.

  • Anonymous

    jaxwatchdog and oc,
    I’ve followed both of your blogging and learned much from your posts (not just about FBC or BBC but about the christian life) and I thank you. But you are wasting your time with this immature, shallow, self absorbed, savior of the evil traditional church. Talk about a case of arrested development. You’re too good for this. By the way, Gilligan and the Skipper are two of my favorite people.

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