Twitter: does it help or hurt a business image?

The IT article that i chose to use was found on BusinessWeek.com, and was entitled: "How Companies Use Twitter to Bolster Their Brands." After reseaching what Twitter was, i found that it was a mircroblogging service that was established in March 2007. This online service allows people to send updates of what their doing (up to 140 words) to groups who've signed up to "follow" their messages. These updates, also known as tweets, could be changed multiple times per day. This new technology reminded me of away messages found on AOL Instant Messager, and the status updates found on Facebook.
One might wonder what does mircoblogging and Twitter have to do with IT? My guess is that they use the private information from consumers to advance their business's image. How do they do that? Whenever someone posts an update about what they're currently doing, if the "tweet" contains a specific brand name, that company can read their tweet and respond. Well-known companies are now beginning to use the information that users post to "follow" what customers say about their brands. Twitter even allows company representives to respond to them. Companies such as Jet Blue, Comcast, Dell, General Motors, H&R Block, Kodak, and Whole Foods Market. use this innovation to repsond to their customers on certain issues. For example, the respond to questions, complaints, and comments that a consumer writes about their company on Twitter.
Twitter has gotten skeptical reviews from users; some say that it's an excellent way to keep in touch with friends and family, but other think its creepy that companies can track what they're saying as well. As a consumer of many of the brands listed above, I would have to agree with some users and say that the idea of Twitter is a little creepy, and invasive. When i post an update on myself online, I expect only the people I invite to see it to read it, or even respond to it. I don't believe that just because a company's name is mentioned that they have the right to repsond to anything i may say. For example, if i say that i am currently out of the house running a few errands at Whole Foods Market within 10 seconds Whole Foods will respond to that tweet maybe asking me what i am looking to purchase, or make a suggestion on a new product they are offering.
Companies are optimistic about using Twitter because they believe it will help them with serving their customers better. And because Twitter is free, it keeps operationg costs down and is a potential to add-value to the company name. Although it seems like a win-win situation for companies, I am still not convinced that this is an appropriate way to reach their customers. As a Business major, it is completely understandable why a company would work so hard to help manage their name brands. Yet, i do not believe that brand management should be weighed higher than a consumers privacy.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc2008095_320491.htm
http://twitter.com/help/aboutus
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2008/tc2008095_701983.htm