Comments on: Do you follow Barack Obama on twitter?

By: So much for Verified…

So much for Verified… — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 03:20:05 +0000

[...] Sanders shared some interesting information about President Barack Obama’s twitter account on his blog last month. It turns out that our president’s verified account, isn’t his anymore! [...]

By: Ben Kunz

Ben Kunz — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:37:36 +0000

These are good points.

Ghostwriting is a nasty business. I partook in it once early in my career, writing a book chapter and a few magazine articles for a marketing guru, and while in some ways it was good training I still regret it. Unfortunately the higher up the food chain leaders go, the more likely they are to have teams of writers scripting what they say. Obama’s teleprompters give the same nuance.

What I hear from you, and agree, is that Twitter “verified” should be an authentic voice. The White House was probably in a bind because if they didn’t verify the account, no one would know if Obama was really written by a 23-year-old college student having some fun.

Veracity is hard to come by today. Fuck yeah.

By: tsand

tsand — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:24:13 +0000

At least my untruths are my own.

I realize that no President goes before the crowd and hits the podium without a rehearsed speech. A speech written by others, massaged by others, corrupted by others.

The problem I have, Ben, is that twitter has given a “verified” account to an organization of many which is claiming to be one man (one very powerful man). When I read @barackobama’s tweets, the voice in my head is his voice. I believe he is speaking, in fact, the tweets that the organization is putting out are written to sound as if though they are coming directly from the President himself:

Example 1: “I need you to help us finish the fight on health reform. Pick up the phone and make your voice heard in Washington.”

Example 2: “Help me show that Americans are ready to join the fight for the middle class—add your name to a letter to Congress”

Example 3: “From my family to yours — Happy Thanksgiving.”

THIS IS BULLSHIT. The MAN didn’t say any of this. The organization types/creates the message. I find it scary that someone who is NOT the President of the United States can send a tweet out to the world as if he/she was the voice of our nation.

At the very least, they should update the bio to be more truthful. A hidden background image giving the details is way too full of FAIL.

sidenote: Thanks for using “fuck” in your comment! One of my favorite words. EVER.

By: Ben Kunz

Ben Kunz — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:59:55 +0000

I suppose I could explain that no one using social media is being true, that we all use some form of masks or altered self-representations, whether that be adding things that don’t exist or withholding things that do, so Obama’s misrepresentation through tweeting ghost-writers is only one point on the downward curve of deception, but then again, I’m with you, it would be really cool to see the president of the United States jump on to bitch about Biden saying Fuck during my big moment and Rush being one to talk with that bloated belly just waiting for our healthcare emergency rooms to bail him out and that type of thing, so Obama lighten up man and let it all out. Just keep it within 140 characters.

By: Josh Chandler

Josh Chandler — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:22:16 +0000

The fact these “influential people” on Twitter use Ghost tweeters (or sometimes accredited guest tweeters) is beyond me. It’s just broadcast marketing if they’ve not initiated or taken part in conversations with others.

By: Andrew Careaga

Andrew Careaga — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:40:10 +0000

#FAIL on the linkage on that previous post.

By: Andrew Careaga

Andrew Careaga — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:39:12 +0000

But only @SofiaVergara has a verified account. So how do we know those other actors are really who they say they are? Oh. Wait. Never mind. Just read that part of your post about @BarackObama.

By: tsand

tsand — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:06:17 +0000

Re: Modern Family – Many of the cast are on twitter!

http://utodd.com/2010/01/24/dear-internet-thanks-for-being-cool-again/

By: Mike Petroff

Mike Petroff — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:01:21 +0000

Let’s hope @BarackObama doesn’t respond with “Well, that’s why we have our profile image as the campaign logo, not Barack’s face! How could that possibly be misleading?” Right.

Modern Family is awesome by the way. Just started watching it on Hulu two weeks ago.