For all the strengths and advantages social networks offer users, there are also real risks and problems. Chiefly among them is the potential for the rapid spread of incorrect information.
An example of what could go wrong happened Thursday. While most reliable and relevant news of the deaths of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson spread like wildfire across the Twitterverse, incorrect information also made its away around the Web.
Like during the hell of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and rural Pennsylvania, wrong information made its way into the public consciousness.
Specifically Thursday, rumors of the death of a third — or fourth – celebrity made its rounds.
A dear friend texted me Thursday evening asking me if there was any truth to the Web reports of the passing of Jeff Goldblum. Word was spreading like wildfire that he had fallen to his death from cliffs in New Zealand while filming a movie.
The rumors of Goldblum’s death were so widespread that his publicist felt obligated to issue a statement saying, “Reports that Jeff Goldblum has passed away are completely untrue. He is fine and in Los Angeles.”
Another friend texted me a few hours later asking if I could confirm the death of Harrison Ford. He was incorrectly said to have fallen from a yacht off of the coast of France.
Fortunately, the mainstream media did not fall into this trap and report the rumors as true… at least I haven’t heard any such reports yet.
Regardless, this is a good opportunity to remember that social networking sites MUST be put into perspective. While they are phenomenal tools, they are but that… tools. And are only as good as the material being explored.
So in the end, while international villians and giant serpents could not take down Indiana Jones despite nearly a century of trying, Twitter — if not for a brief moment — was able to. Now that’s power.
If you are looking for some reliable Twitter feeds, I encourage you to check out who I am following. I tend to follow primarily trusted news organizations and members thereof — and I always quote my sources if the information is not widely available. You could also check out my feed at any time by logging onto this blog and looking to the right.
