Mon Mar. 23 2009 1:46:16 PM
Subject of Twitter drama says her story has been distorted by bloggers
cp24.com
This photograph shows Connor Riley's UC Berkeley School of Information Studies student profile. (CP24/Maurice Cacho)
A California woman is one of the most recent Twitter users to learn that posts written on the booming micro-blogging site have a much wider audience than they are sometimes intended for.
Connor Riley, known as "theconner" on Twitter, tweeted about her indecision at taking an internship she had been offered at tech firm Cisco last Tuesday.
"Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work."
The Globe and Mail reported Monday that the University of California at Berkeley masters student was contacted by someone at the company shortly after making the post. Her job offer was revoked soon after that, the Globe reported.
However, Riley says she declined the job before posting the comment on Twitter, saying her story has been distorted by bloggers and the media.
"The 'job' I 'lost' was merely a summer internship I declined before I even tweeted about it," she told CP24.com in an email. "Any information you have pulled from other sources has largely been made up by bloggers."
Despite conflicting reports, Riley's story has quickly become a cautionary tale for other Twitter users, and her Twitter feed has been bombarded by visitors trying to gawk at the notorious post.
She has since blocked access to her feed and posted an explanation of her actions on her own website, www.theconnor.net.
She says all of her Twitter followers are her friends, and she was posting with the expectation that they would be the only people to care about her posts.
"Let me tell you about how I use Twitter: I have 45 friends. I know all of them. They know me. 95% of them have lived in a dorm or a house with me. I practically can't offend them, although sometimes I try."
Riley says she believes the story has received so much play in the press because many people are still new to Twitter and looking for insight into the implications of using the service.
"There are growing tensions around Twitter specifically; it's too public, it's too easy to use, it's useless. It's everyone talking about nothing to no one," she writes.
"People are tense because no one really knows what it means to tweet yet, what ripples Twitter will leave in our lives in the long term."
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Comments are now closed for this story
March 23, 2009 at 12:54:58 PM
Hayden
How surprising,cause I almost lost my job three days ago for posting stuff about my job,such as my hours of work,I even said the company rocks and was told not to mention the companys name ,almost got canned because of twitter..be careful people
March 23, 2009 at 1:00:10 PM
marty
what a loser!! Serves people right for posting their every move on twitter and facebook.
NO ONE CARES!! Get over yourself.
March 23, 2009 at 1:32:23 PM
Tyler
marty your totally right... people need to think before they post. the internet connects the world whether you like it or not. if you use facebook, twitter or anything like it. ALWAYS be wary of what your going to post.... dumb on her part for making that update
March 23, 2009 at 1:43:42 PM
Maria
If someone is an idiot and posts negative comments about their employer, they deserve the boot. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you.
Regarding Hayden's post above, I can almost GUARANTEE that he/she was playing on the Net and posting about his/her employer WHILE he/she was at work...another big faux-pas.
March 23, 2009 at 2:32:46 PM
ME
I have now deleted my twitter account after being called into the office last week...sorry cant mention the company"s name.
March 23, 2009 at 3:10:39 PM
Sandra Dee
I work for a bank and we've been warned about posting on Facebook and Twitter. There has never been any threats to our jobs, the warning was that any future manager can access that information and it may influence their decisions.
I know people who will post every single thought and goings on. It's ridiculous. Nobody needs to know that you're picking your nose at this minute!
The sad thing is, with one person in particular who I am aquainted with, her children's info is often the subject of many of her postings and some things should just remain private.
March 23, 2009 at 3:21:51 PM
Bigmommat
isnt there a rule whats work stays at work and whats home stays at home.....?????? i know with my job they have facebook blocked off the servers and any other social/dating sites/games
March 23, 2009 at 4:32:57 PM
Sam
Did anyone who commented here even read the article? She turned down the position before she Tweeted. Any she has every right to Tweet whatever she wants about it. Whether you blog, Tweet, SMS, or you don't it's an individual choice. Get over it. Social media is here to stay. People were highly critical of television when it first came around. We all adapt.
March 23, 2009 at 7:34:56 PM
Hayden
Yes I was at work and was so happy,that I never posted anything bad about the company,Human Resources manager said I wouldnt be having that conversation if I did,ya but I have certainly learned my lesson
March 23, 2009 at 9:53:29 PM
SGMAPS-Thornhill
I know nothing about Twitter, but I do have a FAcebook & only have family & a close friend as friends. If you restrict your privacy settings to FB friends only access, what does it really matter what you post, how many updates you post, no matter how unnecessary the posting might strike outsiders, as long as the posting is not nasty or does not reveal restricted info about your employer. FB can just be another way of chatting amongst among 'FRIENDS' without contacting each one individually. If something that one of your FB friends has posted offends you or seems silly, you should be able to advise them, you are supposed to be friends after all. The key is to use caution in your postings & selection of your FB friends & if necessary, chose an inner circle of FB friends allowed to view all of your postings.
March 24, 2009 at 6:55:16 AM
Anthony
Facebook and Twitter are both absolutely worthless websites. Not only do they have terrible security features but they also steal valuable time from our young people who should be spending time doing much more important things like studying or helping out in their community.
As for adults who dont have the sense to know to keep their private and work lives off these website, I don't feel sorry at all for you. Get a real life, talk to real people and think before you post! Honestly, it is getting way too easy for people to steal private information or invade people's privacy. In my eyes, I think anyone who posts on websites defaming their employers should be fired!