The second part of my suggestion was “it’ll keep your hands off the keyboard, and you might end up happier”. Note that it’s not insulting the person. If you’re American and strait-laced, you might find it unbelievably rude, I guess. That’s a cultural thing: I’m British, and that’s British humour. Like most humour, it’s not literal. (Well, you said you laughed.)

Timing matters too: this was a Sunday night, far outside my working hours.

You say: “Most companies have people that are authorized to speak to the press; as a journalist, would you jump on comments made by someone with a direct company connection? Is this to much?” I’d be amused by their approach, to be honest. Trolls are trolls. You might as well get some amusement from them, since they’re getting theirs off you.

Thank you for your comment. I wanted to use this exchange as a means to discuss discourse on Twitter.

Comments from “Amanda Chapel” are on the edge of what’s acceptable discourse. The view, however, questions the value of certain activities on Twitter. Her scathing viewpoints were also directed at other people follow — and know personally — on Twitter. They acknowledged and did not choose to attack. You’re an accomplished professional. Why engage the other person at that level?

Twitter itself is a fantastic resource — so much that I spend my time indexing brands and conducting research as to the best use of the tool.

As for acting as the representative of a company: no, unless specifically defined, the account is yours and does not belong to a company. Let me share a quick story: I once posted a comment in a community about my experience with a certain vendor. It was fairly innocuous and did not single out one individual. After the particular vendor heard about my comment, it turned into a mess. (They don’t quit eunderstand social media, which is amusing as it’s a Web agency).

In looking to expand the way businesses can “join the conversation,” providing guidelines that the more tech-hesitant exec’s can follow is of great value. Now, it could be that I’m jaded by my law firm background, and if so, I’m envious of a position where my executives are less likely to care if I tell someone to go wank off (even if it’s called for!). Most companies have people that are authorized to speak to the press; as a journalist, would you jump on comments made by someone with a direct company connection? Is this to much?

Spongebob Squarepants: Nope;-)

You say: “Dissent is a difficult thing to fathom for some people.” Dissent – when someone argues their case, in a reasonable fashion that allows for the facts that (1) they may be wrong (2) you could be wrong but sincere about it – I find easy to fathom. It’s outright antagonism for the sake of it, which is what constitutes trolling, that I don’t get. But some people have a lot of time on their hands, I guess.

You say: “I’m redefining my definition of who is the troll in this post.” You seriously think that in not wanting to have a stream of obscenities and insults thrown at me, *I’m* the troll? You’ll have to explain that one in a bit more depth.

For me, since I’m a journalist, getting results from social media means getting leads, encountering sources, getting new points of view. From that POV, Twitter succeeds for me. I’m not there to market cereal. Others may have different views. That’s OK. They’re not obliged to use Twitter; if you think it’s ineffective for marketing, please, don’t waste your time there. But equally, don’t tell me it’s useless, because that’s not my experience.

You say: “If you represent a company, or list it in your profile, you speak for everyone, including the executive leadership.” I think that’s stretching it. If I leave my employers, do I have the same Twitter (or other social media) account? Yes. So is that account congruent with my employment? Clearly not. So while one would not look to disseminate company secrets, I don’t think you can argue that what someone says if they don’t in their profile *represent* themselves as *representing* that company is, well, representing the company. I say what my job title is. That’s all.

Finally: can one insult a non-existent person? If my comment were aimed at Spongebob Squarepants, or FakeSarahPalin, is it an insult?

I believe the medium offers both users and brands tremendous value, but people need to be mindful of comments. If you represent a company, or list it in your profile, you speak for everyone, including the executive leadership.

Silly.

Regards,

- Amanda