Rocky Mountain News "tweets" dead boy's funeral, now (thankfully) being savaged

RMN cancels plans to Twitter a second funeral.

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2008/09/rocky_mountain_news_plan_to_tw.php

 

It's too bad it took that long for common sense to prevail.

 

A link from the link above includes the following information:

The stir created by the Rocky Mountain News' move to use the Twitter micro-blogging service at a child's funeral (details can be found here and here) came mere days after the paper had used the technology extensively during the Democratic National Convention, sometimes to unintentionally hilarious effect. But sources at the paper reveal an even more laugh-inducing gaffe -- the accidental posting of the word "fucker," which proved surprisingly difficult to wipe off the website.

Insiders say a reporter from another Scripps Howard paper who helped supplement the Rocky contingent during the DNC accidentally typed in the profanity -- but unlike a blog, which allows users to simply delete passages, Twitter is a live feed. As a result, Rocky techies decided that the fastest and most effective way to get rid of the "fucker" would be to have other staffers start sending in "tweets," as individual Twitter posts are called, until the new entries physically pushed the problematic term off the screen. One person reports that a Twitterer told to text something ASAP responded by sending the word "something."

Which qualifies as the second funniest word in the feed.

Maybe the Rocky should just give up on twittering for a while.

 

Thank you Mr. Temple for finally seeing the light of common sense.

 

Some people are born with common sense, others have common sense thrust upon them.

 

I doubt he saw or sees the light of common sense. It's more like, in his right, doing something for the wrong reason -- not being sorry because it's the wrong thing to do, but because he caught heat for it.

 

yeah ... he still thinks he was right, I'm sure. he'll certainly not admit he was wrong. but if he was so right ... why not continue? we're clearly the ones that don't get it ...

(snarky though I may be, I am thankful they made the right call, even if it wasn't for the right reason.)

 

Actually, reading further, they planned to Twitter TWO other funerals.

The insider adds that the Rocky had planned to Twitter the funeral of murdered Adams County prosecutor Sean May the previous week, only to be foiled when May's family declined to let reporters inside the service.

 

Amazing... just amazing how people like this keep getting promoted...

 

The way I read it, they've backed off on all their "twittering" of funerals. Or at least it appears they are going to be backing off.

I think Mr. Temple has learned he was in the wrong even if the thought he had the right, which he did. He's still a stupid man not to know any better beforehand. No way I send anyone out to do that, ever. Only an idiot would, which Mr. Temple is.

 

I can understand using Twitter to cover a political convention, or a press conference, or even a ballgame if embargo restrictions didn't prevent it. It would be boring for the end user but I could see doing it. But a funeral? Legendary bad taste.

 

I doubt he's learned; shouted down might be more like it.