Twitter verified MSF_USA – Doctors without Borders account. However they immediately used it to ‘broadcast’ spam messages. Good cause aside, spam is spam! Social networks, because they are about people coming together around a Purpose and a Value system, are targets for everyone with a story to peddle.
When Twitter verifies accounts, they are doing so on the basis of “offline” reputation, not online. You can read more about the importance of offering verified accounts in social networks here. But what happens when the Not For Profit with offline credibility misuses that reputation to spam “in a good cause” online? Loss of reputation for all concerned – certainly credibility for the Not for Profit. But also for Twitter. Perhaps Twitter should point new verified accounts to my post on New On Twitter, Tips and Hints? 
Or anyone else tips blog post for that matter.
Do you consider this to be spam?
- @LES_ TY for watching a #STRVD for Attention film, 1 of 195 million stories of malnutrition: http://bit.ly/195mill RT and rewrite the story! about 4 hours ago via web
Hmm – the response? Twitter not happy. Glebe2037 was at least polite:
WARNING: Politically incorrect statement ahead.
I have a BIG issue with not for profits that wander into Twitter, take the higher moral ground and then treat people like rubbish, all in a “good cause”. We’re ALL here to make the world/community a better place, start living with the rest of us!
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