International Olympics Committee get their social media knickers in a twist

They aren't the obvious bed fellows are they, Cameron's Conservatives and the International Olympic Committee? but both find themselves in similar tea cup storms this week over installing confusing and potentially un-enforceable rules on how to use social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

I blogged last week about the Tories Twitter rules for Twits and now the IOC find themselves in a similar state of confusion.

The IOC have created a four page rule book consisting of thirteen rules about the use of blogging, facebook, twitter and photos on such sites.

Nick Pearson, pictured, was one of many athletes on Twitter who were generally confused about the rules but is a happy chap now and I look forward to his tweets.

The general jist is that the athletes can post anything they like apart from any video (moving images), comments about other athletes or people there and only photos of them doing nothing.

Photos are not allowed of any athletes at the opening or closing ceremonies, medal ceremonies or in fact of any athletes participating in any of the events.

In other words the athletes, sorry, athletes and other accredited people that aren't journalists must keep all of their postings in the first person and they must reflect their personal views only.

They have the detailed story over at wired dot com;

there is no Olympic rule that sets up a blackout period for athletes according to Bob Condron, the Director of Media Services for the United States Olympic Committee.

“Athletes are free to blog during the Games,” says Condron. “And Twitter is just a blog that’s written 140 characters at a time.”

There are some restrictions on what athletes can do online during the Olympics. According to the IOC Blogging Guidelines for the 2010 Games, athletes and other accredited people must keep their posts confined to their personal experiences.  

“You can’t act as a journalist if you aren’t,” says Condron. “You need to do things in a first person way.”

Rule 49 of the Olympic Charter says that “Only those persons accredited as media may act as journalists, reporters or in any other media capacity.”

I do wonder why this is so harsh, given that they surely cannot prevent any of the supporters present posting photos of the events and ceremonies?

Anyhow, I am sure as ever the Winter Olympics will be a great joy to watch, thank goodness for Sky+.