Thursday, September 23, 2010

Making Mistakes

Everyone makes them, but can they stall, or even end, your career?

OK ending your career is a bit of an exaggeration, but mistakes could potentially harm it. What do I mean by mistakes? I mean anything that is not professional, like using Twitter when you've had a few too many beers and asking someone you hardly know if they want to meet up for a chat about nothing in particular. Not professional at all especially if that person is an agent.

Agents talk to each other, as does everyone in media, and you don't want to be known as the bloke who Tweets drunk. That's why it's important to keep up a professional front online all the time, one mistake can hang around for quite a while.

So the point is... be mindful of everything you write, or upload, on the Internet. Someone somewhere is always watching.

7 comments:

Steve Barker said...

Twitter is like one of those fairground mirrors - it can all too easliy distort what we want to say in general, and what we want to be said about ourselves in particular.

Too many of us use Social Media as an alternative to REAL communication; When we speak to someone face-to-face we pick up on their facial expressions and the tone of their voice.

Something gets lost in translation: bytes can turn into bites - all too often on the arse!

Lucy V said...

Doesn't it depend on the context? Meeting people is always good - even without a particular aim/objective in mind... Except of course when one of you thinks it's for a specific reason.

Regarding Twitter, there are people who I follow simply BECAUSE they tweet drunk, or rant or have meltdowns every five minutes. There are loads of people I like in real life but bore the pants off me on Twitter and vice versa.

For every person who's told me they hate it when I go off on one for example, I've had waaaaaaaaaaaaaay more throwing in their 2ps worth, agreeing, chatting etc. Some of my meltdowns are real; some of them are orchestrated. Other times I will start a discussion about a topic or issue and play devil's advocate; other times I pick one side cos I believe it, other times I don't but pick that side anyway to generate more.

Twitter is just WRITING - too many people think it's all personal. It isn't, it's called "micro blogging" after all. Twitter isn't necessarily an extension of YOU... except when it is.

Dominic Carver said...

That's why I follow you, you are deliciously rude to people sometimes (in a fun way of course).

Steve Barker said...

@Lucy V:

Twitter may be WRITING, but the power of the written (or typed) word should never be underestinated, or abused.

Hence such well-hackneyed saying such as 'the pen is mightyer than...' or - more esoterically:

'So it shall be written, So it shall be done'

Innocent word-play is of course fun and relatively harmless.

Words are powerful talismans that can bring about change and evoke action. To mis-use them to manipluate others for our own amusement, or just to use them carelessly can and will bring about repurcussions and consequences.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, as Newton would say.

Chris Regan said...

I had a full-blown rant/meltdown over the phone once at an actor/producer. I sometimes worry this might come back to haunt me one day. Not that I regret it - he totally deserved it!

Anonymous said...

Twitter is what it is. Have you had a bad experience?

Steve Barker said...

@www.radiowriter.com:

eau contraire, Rodney, eau contraire...

My Twitter experience has been nothing but satisfactory, but I am concerned about others who tweet with little regard for the consequences for themselves or others.

A bit like ignorant drivers who swear and rant when they would never behave so appallingly without a few MM of laminated glass windscreen to 'protect' themselves, some people tweet in a manner they would never adopt in real life.

All our positive and negative thoughts are amplified by the perception of others. The good or bad we put out there will come back to us over time.

Therefore, the best maxim to tweet by is surely

"Be true to yourself"

or, as Bill & Ted put it:

"Be Excellent to each other"