12 tweets that got people fired

[GA Russell]

I guess I'm surprised that people would be unprofessional on an account with their names, as opposed to a sock puppet.

http://emgn.com/entertainment/12-tweets-that-got-people-fired-from-their-jobs/1/

[Dave Garrett]

Twenty-odd years ago, before Facebook, Twitter, and much of the Web itself, people not only posted far more inflammatory comments under their real names and places of employment, but used their employers' servers to do so. For the most part, there were minimal or no consequences for doing so, although there were occasional instances of discussions that were usually not taken too seriously escalating and spilling over into real life in a quite unpleasant manner. It was rare for someone to get fired for something they said online.

Of course, almost everyone who had internet access back then either worked for a tech company or was affiliated with a university, so the online community was a fraction of the size it is now. Times have changed in many respects since then.

[Unk]

Of course, almost everyone who had internet access back then either worked for a tech company or was affiliated with a university, so the online community was a fraction of the size it is now.

...and, of course, that's why we had to use our employers' servers to post; virtually no other form of access to the internets. I'd venture a guess that the people who posted "carelessly" back then wouldn't ever do so now. It's the newer people who don't really understand/appreciate how the internet and Web work.

[bogdan101]

Yeah, I miss the Usenet days...

[Leeway]

The Taco Bell guy should be prosecuted.

As for the Boston Marathon girl, can you be prosecuted for complete stupidity? OTOH, death threats to her parents?

I don't have a Twitter account; it seems like a time-suck and rather pointless (or dangerous). I wonder how many folks here have a Twitter account?

[kh1958]

I like Twitter; I mostly use it to follow the activities of current musicians that I like.

[johnblitweiler]

twits

[Dave Garrett]

I'd venture a guess that the people who posted "carelessly" back then wouldn't ever do so now.

Based on an admittedly small sample size that I have firsthand knowledge of, I can say that your guess is entirely accurate. I think it's a combination of factors: the urge to behave badly tends to diminish with age, and a quick look at most comments sections nowadays can make anyone still inclined to do so just think "what's the point?"

I don't have a Twitter account; it seems like a time-suck and rather pointless (or dangerous). I wonder how many folks here have a Twitter account?

I think there's a (completely understandable) misconception among people who've never interacted with Twitter very much that it's all about idle chat broken up into 140-character chunks. There's plenty of that if you seek it out, but once you've invested the time to figure out who to follow, it's also the best source, hands down, for breaking news in real time. There's also no shortage of well-curated feeds like Longreads and Longform that regularly post links to some of the best journalism on the web. Worth noting as well that if you're not a digital subscriber to the NYT, their Twitter feed is a must-follow, as links to articles they post via social media don't count against the 10-article monthly limit that non-subscribers are subject to.

It can seem confusing and pointless when you first get onto Twitter, but once you've gotten comfortable with its conventions and how it works, you will probably get hooked in short order. Personally, I rarely tweet, but after about five years of using it on a daily basis, I probably spend more time online there than anywhere else.

If you do decide to check it out, be aware that Twitter's own mobile app sucks in comparison with many other third-party apps. For iOS, I'd recommend Twitterrific or Tweetbot. Not sure what the current favorite for Android is.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Dave Garrett