Mukilteo Councilwoman Jennifer Gregerson caused quite the uproar with a late-night tweet earlier this summer.
She said she’s a wiser user of Twitter since that alert of a dinner “debriefing” at Ivar’s restaurant at which a majority of City Council members showed up, creating a quorum.
And she’s earned a bit of Internet fame for her effort, too.
Cracked.com, a political satire site, issued a list of Six Places You Should Never Twitter From. Showing up at No. 2 is Gregerson under the headline, “From an illegal City Council meeting (in a bar).”
Ahead of her in the rankings is a Michigan congressman who sent brief messages, or tweets, on the whereabouts of himself and U.S. troops while traveling through Iraq.
Gregerson laughed when told of the dubious honor she’d received Aug. 6.
“I am more proud of Mukilteo being named one of the top 10 places to live in Money (magazine) than I am making the list of best places not to Twitter from,” she said.
“Fortunately tweeting about a social gathering doesn’t put anyone’s life in danger,” she said.
She acknowledged that the 10:41 p.m. posting following the June 16 Mukilteo City Council meeting changed her life on Twitter in at least five ways.
1. Don’t mix business and pleasure: Gregerson now has two accounts on this microblogging service. “I learned it was a good idea to separate my council identity and my personal life.
2. Tweet precisely: Her use of the word “debriefing” raised the specter of an illegal City Council meeting. “With every Twitter message I should behave as if everyone in the world is reading.”
3. Fewer than four: Don’t stand around or sit with a majority of council members unless it’s a council meeting. “That goes for whether I’m in the grocery store or Ivar’s or anywhere else in Mukilteo.”
4. Be prepared: Strong reactions may follow any tweet. “I enjoyed the idea that people were paying attention to this form of communication after I got over the initial shock of my first appearance on television talking about it.”
5. To tweet or not to tweet: “I don’t send any messages during council meetings anymore. I used to do it but people may perceive it as not paying attention.”
Not many talk anymore about what she did unless they’re teasing her about it.
“I think there are more serious issues to deal with,” she said.
Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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