If this really is Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who is the author of this Twitter account in his name, started yesterday, that would surely make him the first leader of a major country who twitters.
Is it Mr Rudd writing the tweets, or it it someone on his staff? That’s a question others like ZDNet are also asking.
Tweets in the first person like the latest one shown in the screenshot make it apparent that it’s the PM.
As I strongly believe in authenticity and transparency with social media usage – so no ghost writing blog posts or tweets without disclosure – I hope it really is Kevin Rudd. This was a discussion point in today’s FIR podcast, to be published later today.
KevinPM, what do you say?
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Wow. You cannot say Kevin Rudd Twitter account “would surely make him the first leader of a major country who twitters” now the USA have @barackobama and his 130k Twitter followers… Same in the UK with @downingstreet. Of course it’s the begenning but things are moving slightly.
Actually, I can say that. The question is re who is doing the twittering. In the case of Downing Street, it’s stated clearly on the Twitter bio that it’s the communications team, ie, most definitely not Gordon Brown. Indeed the Twitter ID makes that clear.
Barack Obama is a bit like Kevin Rudd in that the account is in his own name. I don’t think anyone imagines that Obama is the twitterer. Rudd though? Could be. Or not.
Hence the question.
It depends on what you mean by “who twitters”. I would NOT want a national leader to Twitter if by that you mean type the message or text. If it means they say something and that gets Twittered then it’s personal enough for me and sufficiently so that it doesn’t need ‘disclosure’ or transparency.
I totally agree with Stuart. The question is not: do they type the txt themselves on the phone or on the keyboard of their laptop but have they understood a new way to communicate (in 140 characters) was emerging?
I have to disagree with you there, Stuart, in the strongest possible way – it is all about disclosure and transparency. I want to know that the person who is twittering is actually the person who I think it is.
Disagree with you as well, MMartin. In fact it's more fundamental than what I've just said to Stuart – I want to know that the person who is twittering is actually the person whose name leads me to believe it is that person.
If you see what I mean.
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