Grace Under Self-Induced Pressure

We've all faced those moments when the sudden, chilling realization hits that something we meant to say in private, or at the least to a specific individual, has instead been broadcast to the world and/or the wrong person. For example, a negative comment about the boss meant for one co-worker... that instead was e-mailed to everyone in the company. Including your boss. It happens. Although, strangely enough, it seldom happens twice to the same person. Go figure.

Anyway, a new variation of this oopsies is when someone writes something via social media -- Facebook, Twitter, blog -- that was meant to be sent on their personal account but instead was put on the corporate account. Such an occurrence took place a few days ago to the American Red Cross, when whoever was overseeing their Twitter account at the time clicked the wrong ID from which to send this:

Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head's Midas Touch beer... when we drink we do it right #gettngslizzerd

Oops!

Fortunately, all parties concerned remained calm. The next tweet on the account read:

We've deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we've confiscated the keys.

Now, bear in mind the American Red Cross has some 268,000 followers on Twitter, so despite the original tweet being deleted more than a few people read the thing. Apparently they were well assured by the Red Cross' response, choosing humorous replies to the original tweet such as:

After I drop off a pint of blood to the Red Cross, I'm going to replace it with a pint of Dogfish beer.

The brewer of Dogfish beer got into the spirit... er, occasion on their Twitter account by encouraging its customers to give blood to the Red Cross, then note having done so on Twitter with the hashtag #gettngslizzerd. For which the Red Cross has thanked them, albeit it with a word of caution that drinking and donating blood should always be spaced well apart on your schedule for health reasons.

The moral of the story is that when a mistake happen -- and it will happen -- one is best advised to own up to it and do their best to turn it into an advantage. That, and remember how most people are more than willing to cut some slack to others when this happens, being that they've been in the same situation themselves.

And avoid discussing getting slizzered when online.

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