Don’t Allow Facebook (or Any Other Ssocial Media Site) to Ruin Your Reputation

facebook is a social networking tool and a free engine to be used with a sense of responsibility. This assumption that anything you put on these sites is private needs to be quashed. If you put any picture, write anything you will be embrassed by or your employer/coworker and future date would negatively judge you by, then DO NOT put it out there. Unlike LinkedIn and twitter, facebook is not the most effective professional social networking or job hunting, but it can also be used for that purpose. My Facebook is neutral, mostly about budha like wisdom and international and local news/technology that interest me. Nothing about my personal life since I'm friends with professors, coworkers, acquantances and friends.... and obvious no offensive or embarassing pictures.

I remember applying for a job at a county sheriffs office. Apart from a polygraph test, they wanted me to sign into my facebook account before I left their office and leave it open so they could review it. I think that says it all.

I am constantly "googling" myself to see what comes up. I was p.o'd when I first found these links for sites like mylife, etc. I hate data mining sites, I would contact them and tell them to take my information OFF their sites, they had no right to post my address, phone numbers, etc. That is SO dangerous. I suggest that everyone make a habit of "googling" themselves, you never know what you will find.

Good post. I went through my timeline and removed any photos that I found were a little unflattering. In general I think what Facebook is doing is causing a lot of upheaval because so many people are members. It requires too much tech-saavy to keep private images that are just meant for friends private. I wish pictures defaulted to max privacy where it's only visible to you, the person who tagged it, and (maybe) mutual friends of yours. Then if you want to share it more widely, you can set it to be more public. The way it is now is needlessly tedious.

On the other hand, one thing I'll say about Facebook is that the "paper" trail probably makes people more civil. I like being able to express opinions anonymously--I think it's important to be able to discuss things that can not be linked to you professionally. At the same time, people often use anonymity on the internet to be insulting, aggravating, and cruel. Facebook is holding people accountable and positioning itself as a way to brand yourself essentially but I think it makes it too hard to manage it for what most people want to use it for--a little internet beacon for people who you met in passing to be able to contact you.

I actually got rid of my facebook account in december when my kidney failed. My cousin suggested it and I thought it was a good idea. Although my account was private/friends only, I didn't want to risk not being considered for a transplant just because I had a few club pictures up. Honestly I can say that I don't really miss it.

i don't use facebook or twitter.

GREAT ADVICE!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/google-tracks-consumers-across-products-users-cant-opt-out/2012/01/24/gIQArgJHOQ_story.html

This link is about Google.

I just want you ladies (and gents) to protect your information.

Google is making some changes too. They are now sharing information between all of their services; so if you feel that you keep seeing the same ads all over the internet no matter where you go, it's because is using your data to target ads directly to you.

I completely agree with this even though I'm not on facebook. Once I was done with college I deactivated. It was a time-drain and since I was involved when it was only for college students, I associated it with college life, which was something I was leaving behind for impending adulthood. But now that it has grown so large and mainstream and public(!), even though I'm not on, I'm constantly reminding my peers and nephew of the importance of relegating their profiles. It is a form of communication, and it should be treated as such. If you wouldn't show your ass in public, don't show it online either. In my mind, embarrassing stuff should not have been up there in the first place, but if it is, get rid of it asap.

I love the timeline. I think once you get on any social media site you must expect that it will be public. Do not put on any social media site anything you don't want everyone to see. Also, you MUST use your privacy settings. I've made myself unsearchable on FB. You'll find a few others with my name but not me. We have to recognize there is no such thing as privacy once you go on the internet. Ms. Akila makes perfect sense.

Oh, and while you're at it, watch your Twitters, Tumblrs, and LinkedIns too. Watch all of your SN's. Sometime this year, I'm going to open FB and Twitter accounts to keep business and personal stuff separate. I know some friends who have done that, and I think it's a good thing.

Thanks for getting the word out there. I read the article couple days ago, but I am sure many ppl don't even know what's coming. I actually have two Facebook accts, one I use for personal and the other just for commenting online. On my personal page, I have no personal pics posted, and I rarely converse on it. I just feel like I am being watched by some unseen eye on Facebook. Sometimes I wonder if there is something larger to Facebook that nobody is telling us. I am sure the conspiracy theorists could enlighten me on that.

I took all of those things in consideration when I joined. I know my statuses are a bit boring, pedestrian, and run-of-the-mill, with the occasional sharp wit, but I keep it clean.