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Published by: David Nordella 08-02-2012  |  POSTED IN: Twitter Thursdays

Twitter, UK Summer Olympics and #NBCFail

 
Here's another great interview from our friend and colleague, David Nordella: 
 
Twitter Thursday is taking a temporary summer break from being all work. We’ll get back to our normal beat about Twitter and healthcare practices next week. Lots of people are having fun in London right now. Let’s see what is happening.
 
A new challenge may be auditioning at the Olympics; Blood Sport. Twitter is in the middle of a social media showdown over the UK Summer Olympics. As regular readers of Twitter Thursday know, Twitter has been cozying up to new strategic partners. The latest is NBC. That’s right, an old media cougar.
 
We hope that the new partner works out for Twitter but we have our doubts. NBC’s business model calls for aggregating large numbers of viewers at the same time as TV is not interactive. NBC wants to deliver eyeballs simultaneously so that push media advertisers can address their customers all at one time.
 
What is good for NBC is not necessarily good for Twitter as Tweeple flit in and out of Twitter on a 24/7 cycle. Tweeple want immediate news reports, part of Twitter’s legend has been built on immediacy (Haiti relief, Arab Spring, etc.). Twitter also has a reputation of impartiality within their brand.
 
The needs of old and new media clashed when Tweeples’ expectations were let down. As Gigaom.com explains “Twitter set off its first major public relations crisis this week when it suspended the account of a journalist who had been criticizing the social media site’s corporate partner, NBC, over its Olympic coverage. It is finally trying to fix things... This appears to be the end of part one of a controversy in which Twitter, which has been a champion of free speech and transparency, appeared to break its own principles in order to champion a corporate interest.” See: “Twitter comes clean, apologizes for NBC-gate”, Gigaom, http://gigaom.com/2012/07/31/twitter-comes-clean-apologizes-for-nbc-gate/.
 
“But it wasn’t his criticism that caused trouble, it was his inclusion of an NBC executive’s email address in the tweet, which violated Twitter’s terms of service”, “Tweets That Will Get You Kicked Off Twitter”, Mashable Social Media, http://mashable.com/2012/08/01/kicked-off-twitter/. We respect and recommend Mashable to our readers. We absolutely disagree with them on this one.
 
We agree with honoring the terms of service. We feel, however, that Twitter has been disingenuous about Guy Adams’ criticisms of their relationship with NBC: “London Olympics 2012: Twitter 'alerted NBC to British journalist's critical tweets',” The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/twitter/9440137/London-Olympics-2012-Twitter-alerted-NBC-to-British-journalists-critical-tweets.html. Mashable didn’t challenge Twitter’s behavior. We don’t know why.
 
Twitter can, and has, objected to Mr. Adams’ sharing an executive’s email address in one of his Tweets. That objection has not mollified their audience. After all, how sincere is a politician complaining about negative campaigning after being caught leaving a bordello? That politician is sincere about not wanting to be caught as a cat-house customer. That is different than a real critique of the fall in journalistic standards. Twitter’s protection of NBC is being judged under the same standard.
 
Twitter’s awkward misstep has even coined a new hashtag, #NBCFail. Check out some samples of the #NBCFail stream.
 
@kapitts For shame @NBC, for shame. #NBCfail @RogerChilds
 
#NBCfail #NASAftwRT Mars Rover landing will be broadcast w/ less of a delay than the Olympics. Science ftw: @agressor7 @CalConfidence
 
maybe @CNBC is copying #NBCFail by reporting live information on a major delay....I bet that's it @Maizenbluejames
 
Gotta make that billion somewhere. RT @tyduffy: Yes, NBC is currently cutting into soccer matches for commercials. Shameless.#NBCfail
 
These statements are not exactly ringing endorsements of Twitter’s moves. Twitter is a serious company. We hope that they take these and other such protests seriously.
 
Speaking of outrageous behavior, consider this story of an individual behaving badly. It appears that the British police have arrested a seventeen year-old for tweeting his hate for British diver, Tom Daley, after Daly’s diving performance didn’t satisfy the twerp. Reports about the Tweet reveal reprehensible behavior, “Police Arrest Twitter Critic of Olympic Diver Tom Daley”, Mashable US & World, http://mashable.com/2012/07/31/twitter-critic-of-olympic-diver-tom-daley-arrested/.
 
We want to be on record for accepting accountability. It is possible to express personal feelings without being freakish. Really.
 
Twitter Thursdays is not Miss Manners but we are convinced that you can feel real emotion while still being courteous, civil and conscious (in descending order).
  •  Courteous — We are all mortal and prone to make mistakes.
  •  Civil — We are mutually deserving of respect, if not empathy.
  •  Conscious — Capable of shame over acting badly.
 
Twitter Thursday is often snarky (right now as an example). We are not seventeen years old but have been. There a lot of people that will, or are, regretting Facebook’s decision to create a timeline that starts at the time that they opened their account.
 
Shame is not always negative. Why not rid ourselves of the pretense of anonymity except in the case of protected sources in the press? We find it curious that unlimited anonymity is commonly preferred as a way of making society free. Are you truly free if you can hide from social responsibility for your words? Are you truly free if you can be handcuffed for what you said while you were being anonymous?
 
We welcome any responses, snarky or not. Declare your freedom by announcing who you are. We aren’t afraid and you shouldn’t be either.
 
David Nordella, the Managing Director of Provider Finance Associates, LLC, says that Twitter mixes with his passion for improving the profits of Independent Practice Associations. Find out more about David:
 
@BeneficentGuild
The pfa411news club newsletter found at http://www.providerfinance411.com/blog/
The “Independent Practice Associations” group on LinkedIn
Thanks for reading. Jason.
P.S. Don't forget to subscribe below to this blog.
 
About Jason Ciment
Formerly an attorney and CPA, Jason has been working online since 1997. His columns on affiliate marketing can still be found on www.Clickz.com and his book on search engine optimization can be found at www.seotimetable.com.

This blog is published 4x per week and covers website design and SEO tips as well as a wide range of tips and advice for working and living online more efficiently and enjoyably.
 

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