Twitter users who are still learning the ropes on how to send messages through the micro-blogging site now have someone who could understand their predicament. Just recently, Twitter CFO Anthony Noto sent out a public tweet which was originally intended as a DM (direct message).
It's a common mistake among new Twitter users to tweet out a direct message which was not originally meant for public viewing. In the case of Noto, he accidentally leaked out the company's acquisition plans. However, the plan still enjoys a degree of anonymity as the tweet didn't mention a particular name of a person or company that is involved in the acquisition.
"I still think we should buy them. He is on your schedule for Dec 15 or 16 - we will need to sell him. I have a plan," tweeted Noto.
The post is now deleted. Twitter spokesman Jim Prosser confirmed that Noto has intended to send the tweet as a private message. However, he declined to make further comments on the message such as its recipient or the company that Noto has shown interest in purchasing.
The Twitter incident raised speculation on the mysterious acquisition target of the company. It has also brought up once again the frequent complaint on its direct messaging service which either confuses the users or causes them to commit embarrassing mistakes. People have referred to this situation as a DM fail which means 'direct message failure.'
Anthony Noto became Twitter's CFO beginning in July. He used to work at Goldman Sachs as a technology banker and at the National Football League as a CFO. In September, he spearheaded the company's effort to reach the amount of $1.8 million in convertible debt. The fund will be used by the company in its dealmaking.
"Anthony's ability to come up to speed quickly has been just delightful," said Dick Costolo, Twitter chief executive officer in an October-held interview. "The rigor that he brings to everything he does is fantastic and causes everyone he works with to make sure they're being just as rigorous as he is. It ups everyone's game."
Noto's tweet only shows that making a mistake in Twitter can happen to anyone, whether the user is new to the service or not. Some Internet users seemed quite amused at the irony that a Twitter boss has failed to use his own service correctly. Noto on his part started joining Twitter in 2009. However, his case may not be as bad as compared to other epic social media screwups. These include the anti-Obama messages sent by KitchenAid, the pornographic tweet sent by the U.S. Airways, and the message antics sent by former U.S. congressman Anthony Weiner.
