Until recently, venting one’s frustration about jobs or professional assignments on Twitter was quite common. With the release of a brand new app titled “FireME!”, several Twitter users are now stating that they are being warned by the Twitter “Firemeter” whenever they post something that’s offensive enough to result in job termination.
This new “FireME!” app has grabbed the attention of many. The app manages to sort tweets into four distinct categories that can be reckoned as fire-worthy. The categories are, “Haters”, “Potential Killers”, “Sexual Intercourses” and “Horrible Bosses.” The categorization will be carried out on the basis of the type of content posted in the tweets. The site also showcases a leaderboard for ranking tweets as the most vehement or disrespectful comment.
According to me, the basic purpose of the app here is not to exploit the hapless social media users who have been relying on interfaces like Twitter to vent their angst or anger. As creator Ricardo Kawase rightly pointed out, the aim of engaging this app was to educate users of social media regarding the relevance of filtering content, realizing that content, once posted on the internet, becomes permanent. Kawase emphasizes that most Twitter users do not realize, that once you make a comment on the internet, it can never be taken back. It’s high time we learnt to be responsible for what we put on the net.
The “FireME!” app has been met with various types of reactions and feedback. While communication professors like Jennifer Lambe feel that although it might not be all that essential for companies to monitor the social media behavior of their employees, it may be essential to check if they are misrepresenting the identity of the firm. As Lambe points out, “badmouthing” needs to be controlled with vigil.
When it comes to professionals, some feel that no action is justified unless their posts are truly offensive, while others are of the opinion that one should indeed be cautious with his or her tweets and posts, especially while sharing thoughts and opinions about professional assignments.
I believe that for a social network to be a pleasurable and positive experience, each user needs to post responsibly. Yes, we do need space to vent emotions but do we need to do it to the whole world? For strong feelings, isn’t it better to talk to someone close to you, who can help you cope and overcome the negative feelings and experience and lead a more positive life? If you still wish to post something that’s not all that pleasant, either about your job or your boss or just about any professional acquaintance, ask yourself, “Could this generate some sort of negative response?” If the answer is “yes”, simply refrain from publishing the post!
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