Chapter 9: Vignette and Case Study

Vignette: Twitter Emerges a News Source for Iran Protesters

1. Many people question the value of Twitter’s goal of helping people stay connected in real time. Do the events in Iran illustrate the potential value to society of social networking tools such as Twitter? Are there other ways that Twitter and other social networks could be used by people and organizations to add real value?

          It is usual that any social networking site have a common goal and that is, to help people to stay connected with their family, friends and loved ones and to have guaranteed to stay attach in real time. They can also offer services that meet the user’s primary demands. But in what happened to Iran revealed undesirable impact to society of social networking tools such as Twitter, to be exact. Iran Protesters used their Twitter account, using service to share commentary about the ongoing protest and to plan future rallies and against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which greatly put into public embarrassment. Social networking site are designed to help people communicate with others, to have social interactions within the society and the freedom to express what he or she feels, of course in a proper manner. Because of what you posted automatically reflect of whom you are; just think before you click as they say. Other ways that Twitter or any social network sites can be used by people or the community to add real value is to support for an idea or cause. To tweet or to post relevant idea or information, or it can be a union of different advocacies, sharing of thoughts, ideas or knowledge in an appropriate conduct. It is true that social networking website capable of putting us into the spotlight but it will somehow bring you into shame.

2. How trustworthy is the information one gleans from social networks such as Twitter?

          When you create or reconfigure a Twitter account, you provide some personal information, such as your name, username, password, and email address. This bunch of information helps you to create your account to interact with friends and to be entertained. But at some point of time your personal information might be used for some inappropriate manner. Can we really extend trust to social networks such as Twitter? Are they trustworthy enough? The Twitter provides some privacy settings to help and to share with its users. These are the Information sharing and Disclosure privacy setting:

Your Consent: We may share or disclose your information with your consent, such as when you use a third party web client or application to access your Twitter account.

Service Providers: We engage certain trusted third parties to perform functions and provide services to us. We may share your personal information with these third parties, but only to the extent necessary to perform these functions and provide such services, and only pursuant to obligations mirroring the protections of this privacy policy.

Law and Harm: We may preserve or disclose your information if we believe that it is reasonably necessary to comply with a law, regulation or legal request; to protect the safety of any person; to address fraud, security or technical issues; or to protect Twitter's rights or property.

Business Transfers: In the event that Twitter is involved in a bankruptcy, merger, acquisition, reorganization or sale of assets, your information may be sold or transferred as part of that transaction. The promises in this privacy policy will apply to your information as transferred to the new entity.

Non-Private or Non-Personal Information: We may share or disclose your non-private, aggregated or otherwise non-personal information, such as your public Tweets or the number of users who clicked on a particular link (even if only one did).

Scandals and issues are hard to avoid when we talk about technologies, because in a world were human minds innovate, highly competition exist.

Credits to: http://twitter.com/privacy

Case Study # 3: Social Networking Disaster for Domino's

1. Some observers believe that if an organization does not respond to an attack on its brand within the first 24 hours, then the damage has been done—lack of management response is judged as an admission of guilt. Others feel that some time is required to gather facts and figure out what happened before responding. With the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, how might Domino’s have reacted more effectively?


          Here comes a famous saying that ‘prevention is better that cure’. In relate to what happened in Domino’s fast-food business they experienced very alarming scenario in regards with food safety. Employees tend to play like a child and what’s funny they take video about what they did in the food and then uploaded. This kind of immature activity brings Domino into embarrassment. Domino’s executives initially take no action, hoping that the hoopla over the video soon subsides. But it caused viral scandal through social networking web sites like Twitter, the video uploaded to YouTube also received abundant comments and critics about the unmannered actions shown by the employees. It is obvious that the Domino didn’t take rapid actions to solve the issues which are sooner caused trouble to their business. As soon as they know the specific problem occurred, they might take appropriate actions as soon as possible to avoid furthermore problems. Domino’s have reacted more effectively when they earlier recognize the problem. They might tell and warn the employees to delete the video that might attract gossip and issues about their business and may lead to breakdown of Domino. It is truly much convenient and applicable that prevention is very much better than cure.           

2. Do you find it unusual that Domino’s response was primarily through the online media rather than the usual printed press releases? Does this seem an effective and appropriate way to respond under these circumstances? Why or why not? Does Domino’s use of the online media set a precedent for others to follow in the future?

          Domino’s claim they did not want to attract even more people to the video by issuing a formal press release to the news media. By what they said, it is apparent that it’s unusual to response primarily in online media rather than usual printed press release. In my opinion, it’s their way to avoid further shame and embarrassment. When we say online media response it is usually the people who are actively present and have an access to Internet might involve in the issue, and the other people don’t have the opportunity to access Internet might possibly don’t have knowledge about the existing problem. When Domino’s release a response through printed press or news media, it is more prone to attract further people, who have television or read news now and then, making them much more put into the spotlight. It is unusual but I think it may take advantage from their side to avoid receiving some critics and unwanted response from the people.

          I think, releasing a response in online media and making effective and appropriate way to face circumstances, is somehow incapable and weak way to respond and reach the public. When it is released to the news media, it might help the people to be aware for their protection also, but releasing a response through news media brings also disadvantage to Domino. Their rivals might use the opportunity to gain huge of customers that Domino’s lose.

          Domino’s use of the online media might somehow set a precedent for others to follow in the future, when the guilty parties don’t want to put into shame and disclose their carelessness in the public. When you are not guilty of doing such things, you’re not afraid to be revealed to the public.

3. Identify three lessons that other companies could learn from Domino’s experience.

          Be mature enough, Employees must put into their minds that their workplace is not a playground and they are no longer a child to play around. It is very much important to observe proper behavior and manner wherever you are especially when you are in a working place where public advantage must be out into concern.

          Place things in an appropriate manner, taking videos with inappropriate content is not useful indeed, so why taking videos when it is destructive then? And what’s worse when uploading it into a site when many people can access it. It only manifest that you’re not trusted enough to put things in an appropriate manner. You must consider the people that might be affected before doing such meaningless actions.

          Take immediate actions, when you think that it is needed to take actions before it’s too late, why not doing it early to avoid some rapid outcomes. When your business is concern, it is require to take some instant response before it’s too late and you can’t do nothing but helpless.