On Edge 559 » Twitter speaks volumes

Twitter speaks volumes

Now more than ever, be careful what you say. As reported by TechCrunch, Twitter recently updated it’s profile title tags to play nice with Google. The title of their profile page now reads “Katrina Neufeld (katrinaneufeld) on Twitter” where it used to say “Twitter / katrinaneufeld”. This minor adjustment has had a huge impact on how Twitter profile pages are indexed by Google. If you type in “Katrina Neufeld” in Google, my Twitter profile page is the first result. Not my personal website, not my LinkedIn account—but my Twitter profile. This could potentially be the first thing people click on when they search for my name and that’s a little scary.

What you say on Twitter (or any other social network) could get you in big trouble. Earlier this week MSNBC reported that one misguided tweet cost some poor schmuck his job in the article Twitter gets you fired in 140 characters or less. So before you start rambling at the mouth, dishing rants, cussing up a storm, talking trash and character assassinating online, remember Twitter speaks volumes.

3 Comments to “Twitter speaks volumes”

Geoff 25 March 2009 at 1:31 pm #

Only my friends are allowed to read my tweets from now on!
james 26 March 2009 at 10:45 am #

You know, a web marketer you tell you why your Twitter account is ranking so high. Not saying I know one or anything.
As for Geoff’s new-found need for protection: there are benefits, I’m discovering, to being your own boss.
I’m kind of kidding with that…kind of. In a class last night at Fresno State, I encouraged students to let down their guard (and be “real”), but not their filter – even if you’re not concerned about someone searching for you, networking tools like Twitter aren’t limited to individual perspectives.
I kind of the like view atop that soapbox…
Chris 26 March 2009 at 2:36 pm #

Being your own boss is the only way to go. I’m not firing myself because I told the Twitterverse that I don’t like police, and that I think finding chicken parts in your uncooked eggs is gross.

Now, since I just figured this out, I have to find out why my Twitter is the first thing listed on Google. That’s lame.