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Diplotwoops collects diplomats' deleted tweets so no error goes unpublished

Diplotwoops collects diplomats' deleted tweets so no error goes unpublished

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Transparency in international relations is often cited as a desirable goal, but rarely achieved. Now, a website is trying to nudge things forward by tracking the tweeting misfires of diplomats around the world. Launching today, diplotwoops.org is a follow-up to the already successful politwoops, only it turns its attention to what international diplomats and embassies have to say rather than local politicians. Functionally, the websites are very simple: any deleted tweets from members of the monitored group are documented, eventually building up an archive of unintentional candidness, poorly phrased expressions, and general lack of judgment in using Twitter.

With global as well as nation-specific politwoops websites — including the US, UK, and the Netherlands — the Open State Foundation that's behind the effort is now expanding its scope. A number of international faux pas have already been picked up, including a tweet from the Russian embassy in Estonia accusing that country's president of aggravating the Ukraine crisis.