Since I have been contributing more to Facebook and lurking on Twitter, I have learned so much about the culture of these sites. It has been so interesting to see the types of status updates people post, because it reflects what people think is important. I have also enjoyed seeing how other users interact with each other on the sites.
I was in a meeting at work today when someoe told the group that a few co-workers had been complaining about the office on their Facebook pages. My manager was apalled and proceeded to discuss the importance of online etiquette.
This made me think back to when I transitioned from college to the workforce. Before I even started interviewing for positions, I edited my Facebook page by removing all "college-type" photos, comments, etc. I think people often forget how much their Facebook page (or any other similar profile) reflects who they are as people...and that it cannot always be separated from their jobs.
After considering this, I decided to do some research on social networking etiquette to see if there was anything outlined...and to see if anything has changed since I first entered the social networking world. I found a great article!
http://collegetimes.us/50-social-networking-rules-for-college-students/
I'm kind of torn on the issue of complaining about the office/work on Facebook. On one hand, yes, we are putting information out there on the web for everyone to see and need to be aware that this is a representation of ourselves. But, on the other hand, shouldn't people be allowed to complain about work on their own personal Facebook pages? If it is a page that they created for family and friends shouldn't that serve as a personal forum to vent? Or should we censor ourselves 24/7 just in case someone is watching?
ReplyDeleteAshleigh,
ReplyDeleteThese types of issues have made me very thoughtful about my social media presence. I am a long way from my college days, so I don't have any "beer pong" photos to worry about, but here are a few "rules" I have created for myself:
1. My facebook account is primarily for personal use. I connect with family and friends. I have a few business contacts as facebook friends, but I will not likely add any more.
2. My twitter account, and my personal blog are used almost exclusively to engage in the learning community. I don't post personal information nor do I connect with friends and family through twitter. My one exception to this is that I follow a few hockey writers on twitter as a lurker. I have created a separate list for this and I mainly read these posts - very rarely to I reply to any of them.
3. I try to be consistent in my professional presence. For example, if you look me up on LinkedIn, Plaxo, Twitter, or my blog you will see the same headlines and biographical information about me.
These few things have helped me keep things sorted out pretty well, but I have to admit - it gets harder and harder to keep the lines from blurring.
Mike
@Allyson - I agree with you...I do think that Facebook should be a personal site where you feel free to share your personal thoughts and opinions. I think that Mike brings up a good point though...if you are going to do this, you may need to be more selective about who your "friends" are and be sure to keep your page private. This is kind of an extreme example, but if you're going to have a public page, and you choose to post something talking about how you engaged in recreational drug use or drinking and driving...you may be hurting your chances at obtaining a job if your potential employer researches you. Especially if you are customer facing. If your furture employer can locate you, any client you deal with can locate you as well. Yikes!
ReplyDelete@Mike - Great tips! Thank you so much for your post.