Does Twitter = Transparency?

By Andrew Kenneally

I attended a social media camp (i.e., PodCamp) in Boston this weekend and the buzz was - everyone loves Twitter! For those not familiar with Twitter, its a simple social networking tool that allows friends to tell each other what they are doing.

Businesses like Comcast and Southwest Airlines have already jumped on the bandwagon (”Hurry up, the customer has a complaint“) to the delight of their customers because they understand the importance of embracing new technology to communicate with their customers. Here at Racepoint, we have understood this for quite a while.

Unfortunately not everyone is embracing Twitter. According to a recent New York Times article (“In House, Tweets Fly Over Web Plan”), there was a rumor that the U.S. House of Representatives was banning members from using Twitter. Although the rumor turned out to be just that, word spread and a Let our Congress Tweet campaign was launched by the Twitter community.

As a former staffer for several members of Congress, I think Congress should embrace Twitter. It would allow citizens to follow and get more involved in the activities of their elected officials. This would be very educational, increase Congress’s transparency, and increase citizen involvement - which is at an all time low.

Also posted on www.rpgworld2blog.com