Tweet with care....

I wrote this post a few months ago on the Iowa PRSSA blog and I think it still rings true.

Twitter is a great tool for connecting with friends and others about topics of interest. Needless to say, Twitter is becoming more and more integrated into our lives and the media.

While Twitter is terrific, it is important to remember that what you post is public- don’t tweet inappropriate things, especially about your employers. It is one thing to be yourself on Twitter but posting comments about how much you hate your boss isn't something you want to vent about. Get ice cream with a friend, don't rag on your boss on Twitter.

We are told over and over again to "clean up our Facebooks" but Twitter can come back to haunt you. Check out this article from MSNBC.com- "Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less"

A former Cisco employee was a little too truthful on Twitter stating:

""Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

It wasn’t long before Tim Levad, a "channel partner advocate" for Cisco Alert, shared this open response:

"Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web."

Ouch.

While it is awesome living a more digital lifestyle than our parents, don’t let it come back to haunt you.

I don't want to discourage anyone from tweeting, Twitter is a great way to connect with others and learn. Trust me, I have a newly admitted love affair with the site, but be smart. You know if something is inappropriate.

Happy smart tweeting!