This week's web exclusive article on social media and EPLliabilities (“Socialmedia: Speak your mind but mind your content“) couldn't havecome at a better time — although I guess it came a little too latefor GilbertGottfried.

In case you haven't heard yet, AFLAC this week fired comic Gilbert Gottfried, long-time voiceof the Duck, because of a series of sick (and really not veryfunny) jokes Gottfried tweeted in the wake of the Japaneseearthquake and tsunami.

In a similar story, an employee of the social media agency representing Chrysler was fired after hesimultaneously dropped the F-bomb and insulted Detroit in one140-words-or-less tweet.

These two incidents really drive home both the beauty and therisk involved in social media. The beauty, of course, is theability to immediately reach out to followers in a more intimateand authentic way than we've been able to in the past. The risk, ofcourse, involves exactly the same issues.

In the case of Aflac, I suppose you could make the case thatalthough the insurer signs some of Gottfried's checks, he is firstand foremost a comedian — and not one from the warm-and-fuzzyBill Cosby school of yuks.Gottfried doesn't work exclusively for Aflac, and his individualbrand might actually run counter to Aflac's family values-orientedstyle. If you want to gamble with edgy, things can go wrong.

The Chrysler case, on the other hand, is a great example of whatcould go wrong in even the best-case situation. There wouldn'tseem to be anything edgy or the least bit risky about working witha professional advertising agency specializing in social media — itseems like the safest thing in the world. Bring a littleauthenticity to the brand, but do it in a professional andorganized way, instead of putting an intern in charge of thecorporate Twitter account.

But authenticity can be a double-edged sword, as Chrysler foundout. It's easy to shoot from the hip in the new world of socialmedia, as the Chrysler contractor learned the hard way. Theinsulting-to-Detroit tweet slipped out — he meant to post it on apersonal Twitter account and it ended up going out as a Chryslercorporate tweet. Let's face it — how many times have you pushed thebutton too quickly on an e-mail and later lived to regret it?

Think of the ramifications for the ad agency that the contractorworked for. First they had to fire the guy; then then had totry and placate Chrysler. They failed — and ultimatelylost the account.

But things could get worse very quickly. What if Chryslerdecided to file suit against the agency for libel? What if thefired employee decided to sue the agency for unfair practices? Theissue snowballs — and all from an off-the-cuff joke that thecontractor thought would amuse his friends.

Whether your client is Chrysler or the mom-and-pop business downthe street, the ubiquitousness of social media puts everyone athigher risk for these problems. Including your own business.

Who's in charge of your social media execution? Do you use aprofessional advertising agency? A 20-something intern? A harriedCSR or temp? It's something to think about.