Tech2Go

I was reminded today of just how broadly and freely digital data flows through our social networks. No, this is not some horror story about a Facebook post gone bad, or identity theft from a nefarious web scheme. Today, while I was working, I was questioned by a colleague about a tweet she read. Tweets are the 140 character text-message-like posting by users of the popular service known as Twitter.

Here’s exactly how the message appeared in Twitter, “final question on GMA for Dave Ramage from twitter…why do folks think i’m nuts then when I talk abt twitter if its SO mainstream these day”.

Of course I had no idea what was going on when I received the email with this quoted message. However, my curiosity was piqued, so I did what any 21st century investigator does – launched my browser and went to Google™. I realized that GMA was not the Gospel Music Association, but the Good Morning America show on ABC. A quick search on the Good Morning America site for the word twitter led me to discover a reporter named Dave Ramsey. We even resemble each other!

Now the confusion was clearing (slightly). The original tweet might be directed toward a Dave Ramsey remark concerning twitter? Instead of identity theft I believe I’m a victim of identity reassignment! For most people the story could end right there. But not me.

Inquiring minds want to know…what factors influenced this identity transfusion? Can it be attributed solely to our stunning foreheads? I didn’t receive the original tweet, so how did it’s creation become known to me so quickly? (Tweet posted 7:49 AM email from a friend 9:08 AM) Why would a professional acquaintance confuse me with someone they’ve never met? Did a spell-checker play a role? How does my newly-assigned comment align with my own beliefs about ubiquitous technology? I still have no idea what Dave’s original comments concerning Twitter contained, but I do know someone else wants me to communicate a response.

I doubt I’ll spend the time to seek further clarification on the matter, but the fact that the original tweet was posted via a mobile device makes me wonder if my contact information (possibly present in the tweet-poster’s mobile device) “corrected” the intended text to become my name. Was it an old-fashioned error that caused the tweet author to substitute my name because of the similarity in sound, or appearance?

The level of connectivity we’ve attained is amazing, but this incident reminds me that the real connection is from person to person. Infrastructure and application create the possibility, but people make the connections.  Maybe someday Dave Ramsey and I can sit down to talk about it…