I thought I'd make up a page on Twitter-related articles / thoughts since our Public Records folks have sent on some resources / links about the issues related to use of new social networking tools like Twitter. I think the Twitter debate is illustrative of the issues we're facing everywhere with emerging/Web2.0 technologies. But I also think that the issues were true whenever people began using new technologies, from the telephone to email to blogs to social networking sites & text messaging.

SO -- Twitter- love it or hate it?

Re: Twitter & Work - Not a Good Mix?

• http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202426916023 - From National Law Journal - "Beware: Your 'tweet' on Twitter could be trouble"
• http://twitter.com/Scobleizer/statuses/1084841046 - from Scobleizer: "Hey, @RocmanUSA if you are going for a ride on your Harley don't Twitter it so your boss knows you are goofi ng off (I'm his boss)."

Twitter - It's Usefulness in Emergencies / Breaking News

• http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/technology/2008/December/Passenger-Uses-Twitter-to-Document-Denver-Plane-Crash.html -"Passenger Uses Twitter to Document Denver Plane Crash" December 23, 2008 10:58 AM by findingDulcinea Staff
• "To better connect with communities before disaster strikes, FEMA has established a private sector office responsible for building a bridge from the federal government to the private sector. DHS’s Ready campaign conducted proactive outreach this year to more than 500 media outlets in the areas affected by destructive tornadoes, Midwest flooding, the California fires, and hurricanes. Ready also developed videos with up-to-the-minute preparedness advice, and utilized social media tools such as Twitter to disseminate preparedness information." from DHS (Dept. of Homeland Security) 2008 end of year report - http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.2134/pub_detail.asp

http://www.google.com/alerts/feeds/08712017695936432696/17118933097585756617

From Jeff: From a public records perspective, the format is irrelevant.  With regard to any new technology and public records in Connecticut, the law is clear in the definition of what constitutes a public record: "any recorded data or information relating to the conduct of the public's business....whether such data or information be handwritten, typed....or recorded by any other method." (CGS Sec. 1-200)

The simple fact is, it doesn't matter what we use to create records; they are still records.  The content of the wiki is a public record.  So is our Web site.  So is Twitter (if we use it).  So is any Web 2.0 technology we utilize.  Again, from a public records perspective, that is one of the major challenges we will be facing for the next decade or more.  This has lasting ramifications for others as well, such as archives.  Some have argued that we are facing a digital ice age.