For people who are still on the guard against the powers of Twitter, there is reason to worry – but not against the use of the social media phenomenon. That Twitter has changed the way we look at information is a given. People find Twitter to be more than a mere entertainment or social networking tool. It is often the case that some of the breaking news stories are found on Twitter even before they get relayed in mainstream media. With the growing impact of Twitter on everyday life, businesses only have to gain out of the site’s popularity, as it provides an excellent trove of consumers who spend significant time on the micro-blogging site.

However, there is one thing that users of Twitter need to guard against – the micro-blogging site, for all its popularity, can spiral out of control as speed of spread of information could take over pretty fast, leaving the people involved red-faced. The way the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs has invited trouble for himself on Twitter, not just once but twice, is evidence enough of the way users could, sometimes, go overboard in their enthusiasm about being in touch with legions of followers. The Indian minister, Shashi Tharoor, had got into problems earlier for using controversial words when talking of people travelling in economy class and in referring to politicians in his Tweets. Having got rapped on his knuckles for that, he has courted further controversy this time as he started off a debate about Indian Visa policies on Twitter, and got reprimanded again by his senior minister, India’s Foreign Minister, S M Krishna.

Twitter has grown so much in popularity and strength that it has transcended the traditional boundaries between media to reflect on real life scenarios. What happens to your Twitter account would invariably affect your company’s brand image and you would have to handle what turns up after Twitter. It is a good idea to be on twitter to build your brand, but then, your brand could also come down hurtling towards the ground on a couple of missteps that you inadvertently took on Twitter. For all its benefits, Twitter takes a level head and conscious handling.