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Can Your Tweets Be Used Against You? Google Indexing of the "Random Stream of Babbel"

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate

AppleIt made headlines on national news and was the focus of considerable debate on "Hot Topics" for the View television program today.  The story of former school teacher Nicole Howell's acquittal after being falsely accused of having sexual relationships with a sixteen year old student.  Although, this was not the first time that the nation's attention has been riveted by a story like this, what was unique about this situation was the role of electronic media. 

Apparently, the young man had been sending sexually explicit messages to his teacher and there had been an exchange of hundreds of text messages between them according to news reports.  The student said that he had been seduced and given vodka.  The text messages were deleted by the phone company and never seen, BUT...a teacher lost her job & reputation in large part due to her lack of discretion about the use of electronic media.  Instructive...and extraordinary.

Many of us today fail to truly comprehend the extent to which electronic media and social media is set to change our lives. Recently, Google announced that it had reached an agreement with Twitter and would be indexing Twitter comments in Google Search results.  Did you know this?

Twitter postings aka 'tweets' are now a part of permanent public record.  They can be used as evidence and once something is online, the shelf life for practical purposes can be assumed to be...forever.  This has implications for real estate agents and the brokers who manage them.  It could be argued that what Ms. Howell did was likely mostly conducted outside of normal working hours.  But, that didn't matter.

Today, many real estate professionals have accounts on various social media portals where they mix personal and professional postings together.  As the topic was discussed on the View, one of the co-hosts noted that there should have been a public forum in which conversations between students and teachers could take place and be MONITORED.  I can see the benefit in this for protecting students AND teachers.

I wonder if there would have been such a rush to pre-judge if Ms. Howell was not a professional?  Is there a higher standard expected when there is a perception of expertise?  In the future, is there a possibility that our comment stream, blogs and postings may be viewed in an entirely different light?  What do you think?

Image courtesy of Sister72 on Flickr by Creative Commons license

Comments (53)

Darin Persinger
Productivity Junkies - Mukilteo, WA

I LOVE IT! The transparency that the internet gives us. Its like shining a giant 100 watt lightbulb in the dark corner and the cockroaches come scurrying out.

can things be taken out of context? sure. but the fact that liars can be caught in the middle of the lie is cool to me.

YOu know what I think about? I do alot of coaching and training video's. I know my nieces will probably watch them now. I know my kids will probably watch them. Probably their kids and their kids and their kids.

As Gary Vaynerchuk says, "Our legacy is greater than currency".

Oct 22, 2009 07:59 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

We have officially entered the era of "irrelevant invormation overload".

 

Oct 22, 2009 10:02 PM
Dan Homan
Coldwell Banker Ellison Realty, Inc - Ocala, FL

If you say something a hyper sensitive person does not like at a party, even if it was taken out of context they carry it with them for the rest of their life.  In a country that is divided 50/50 socially, politically and morally, anything you say can be used against you.  When more and more buyers are internet savy, you have to assume they look you up.

Oct 22, 2009 11:56 PM
Barb Szabo, CRS
RE/MAX Above & Beyond - Cleveland, OH
E-pro Realtor, Cleveland Ohio Homes

Golden rule on the internet; "Don't say to others want you would not want said to you"

Oct 23, 2009 12:06 AM
Kris Wales
Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI
Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

Google catches things so quickly, by the time a Tweeter thinks about what they just tweeted it would be too late to de-tweet.

Same as with AR, outside blogs, Facebook...

I'm still in awe sometimes of how quickly information is "out there".  And out there for a long long LONG time.

Oct 23, 2009 12:09 AM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

The internet should always be where we put our best face forward.

Katerina, Sometimes when I get that error message, I click on the linked to the cached copy and get the page that way...

Great article.

 

Oct 23, 2009 12:14 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Lola, well everyone sure is talking about this...at least the big blogging groups. I think the most important thing to remember is use wisdom. It is a big world out there. At first I thought like Donna, gotta make sure  I tweet with key words....now I think I'll just go back to using wisdom. 

Oct 23, 2009 12:34 AM
Claudette Millette
The Buyers' Counsel - Ashland, MA
Buyer, Broker - Metrowest Mass

I think Vickie's point #30 is key here.  Everyone needs to be keenly aware of what they type into the Internet.  Words are powerful and they are going to stay there for a long while and potentially be seen by many people. 

 

Oct 23, 2009 12:42 AM
Frank Chirkinian
Short Sale Army - Boynton Beach, FL

Thank You for really making me think. Everything I do or say online can have an impact on my future.

Oct 23, 2009 04:29 AM
Jason Sardi
Auto & Home & Life Insurance throughout North Carolina - Charlotte, NC
Your Agent for Life

Lola - Ironically, I got a Google Alert for my name from this post.  And how.  Very interesting.

Oct 23, 2009 05:21 AM
Brian Eddins
Don Cies Real Estate - Norman, OK
e-Pro, GRI

reminds me of a joke I heard.

Someone told me that myspace, facebook, and twitter are in the works to all merge together into one huge social network. They are going to call it MY-twitt-face.

Oct 23, 2009 05:51 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Hi Michael, thanks for stopping by to connect w/ a comment.  That's an interesting thought from a lending perspective...There's a lot to consider particularly when you think about everything that needs to be contained in an advertised rate quote.

Jeffery...Thank you.

Roger, 1984 might be pertinent, however I read a book entitled "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman which was even more relevant.  Todd Waller on Active Rain recommended it...the more I understand about how media impacts our lives, I tend to agree with Postman.

Lisa...Yep!

Joan...LOL, that's quite a picture you paint with your words. :)

Lane...yes, and all that stuff you've forgotten about now is potentially on record for a long time.

Monique...unfortunately, it's not just the young ones who don't get it...a lot of older folks don't too.

 

 

Oct 23, 2009 09:46 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Vickie...great counsel "I teach blogging classes in my market center and stress that online ramblings should be written as if your spouse, your broker and your attorney were present."

Courtney, that's interesting.  It will be interesting to see how this eventually pans out.  It could really change the nature of certain types of searches.

Terry...very true.  We all need to keep that truth front and center.

Darrin...very interesting perspective.  Thank you for adding your voice to this discussion.  It puts the idea of legacy in a whole new light.  Very good!

Lenn...aka  random babbling now preserved ad naseum forever. :)

 

Oct 23, 2009 09:51 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Dan, that's true.  And your point about how divided we are is a good point.  Many professionals tend to post their personal preferences about controversial issues. The shelf life on these comments is very long.

Barb, that is a good rule.

Kris, it is amazing.  There have been times I've made a mistake and tried to undo a tweet and been surprised by how quickly it's indexed.  If you syndicate, that material has gone to all sorts of different outlets with just one click!

Judi...thanks for helping out w/ Katerina's question.

Missy, this is a significant shift & as anything along these lines has pros and cons as well as perhaps unintended consequences.  The rush to move forward so quickly tends to produce that.

Oct 23, 2009 09:57 AM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!

Claudette, we've always known that words are powerful, but now we know that they may NEVER go away.

Thanks for the comment Frank

Very interesting Jason...wonder if my comments are being indexed to.  They have been on other blogs

Brian...LOL, that's quite funny. :)

Oct 23, 2009 10:01 AM
Wendy Rulnick
Rulnick Realty, Inc. - Destin, FL
"It's Wendy... It's Sold!"

Lola - The privacy issues are scary, but then again, one is posting in public.  It is not like a private email (and I question how private those emails are when hosted by sites internally like Facebook and Activerain)....

Oct 23, 2009 11:13 AM
Fred Carver Real Estate Consulant
Retired BC Realtor - Victoria, BC
Accredited Real Estate Consultant

Hi Lola ....Powerful Post and worth being cautious when Blogging, my AR Posts go to Twitter which in turn goes to Facebook, then linked in and who knowswhere else..I try and Keep things light and about me, real estate, and my area..but who knows.

It's a Changing World..Lola You enjoy this Post I did with the Video on stats on Social Media

Oct 23, 2009 01:15 PM
Diane Rice
Rice Prprty Mgmnt & Rlty, LLC, South Holland, IL - Lansing, IL
SFR, SRES, CNC

Eventually Lola, even the hidden THOUGHTS will be revealed... eventually.... nothing will stay sacred, so whoever and whatever we are will speak... tweet or no tweet.  Our BEST defense is to be true, real to ourselves and others.

Oct 24, 2009 09:44 AM
Ilyce Glink
Think Glink Media - Chicago, IL
Best-selling author, award-winning TV/radio host.

Hi Lola,

Thanks for the tip. I use twitter/social media as well, and always keep in mind that my information is out there for all to see.

Oct 27, 2009 06:43 AM
Jackie - computer-training-atlanta.com
770.498.7333 - Atlanta, GA
Learn to leverage technology to get more done.

Lola - I hadn't considered the flip side of Google indexing twitter, that your streams will be visible for ever. Great post!

Nov 28, 2009 01:46 AM