What I won't write

I was listening to the Tech Stuff podcast the other day and the topic they were discussing was "social media faux paus". It really got me thinking about what I see some people write on their blogs or Twitter or Facebook. There have been quite a few documented cases of someone posting on facebook that they were leaving their house and then someone broke in while they were gone. There have documented cases of people posting something stupid like a picture of themselves with no shirt on, drinking and getting fired from their job or not getting a job they just interviewed for. I don't think most people realize that once you post it out there for your friends to see, EVERYONE can see it. Yes, there are privacy settings on many of these sites, but most people don't use them or don't use them correctly. So... off the top of my head... here are some things you should never post on the internet.

1. Any plans that say when you will be out of your house. You might as well advertise that your house is unoccupied from x time to y time so the thieves know they don't need to rush. They can take their time and be thorough so they can get all the good stuff. If you want to talk about your vacation on your blog or facebook that is fine, but do it once you get home. Posting that you are 1000 miles from home at the moment is only an invitation to thieves.

2. Anything about your work. I don't post about work except in the most general terms like "I got a new job!" or "Just go layed off." or something like that. I don't even like to name the company I work for, just in case something I say could be interpreted to be a company statement. A public site is no place to complain about work or your boss. Lucky for me, I love my job and have a great boss... ;o)

3. Don't post anything that you wouldn't want your employer or a future employer to see. Many companies have become very tech savvy and they will search for you when they receive your resume' on all the common social network sites. If they see something they don't like (e.g. too many pictures of you with a cigarette in one hand and a bottle of Jim Beam in the other) they won't even call you in for an interview. Also, your current employer could do the same search and even if they can't fire you for it, they can certainly hold it against you when raises and promotions come up.

4. The same rule as #3 goes for your spouse or significant other. If you are on that site, what makes you think they aren't on it too. Facebook or Twitter probably isn't the place to vent about the fight you just had with your spouse. They are going to read it so you might as well get ready for Round 2!

5. Don't "friend" people that aren't smart enough to not say things that will get you in trouble. I had a friend who wrote something rather provocative on my wall on Facebook. It was something that many of my other friends would have been pissed about and could have made me look bad since it was on my wall. I deleted the message and sent him a private message telling him the next time he did something like that, I was going to "de-friend" him. He's behaved since then. If your friends are going to get you in trouble (or tell everyone you are 1000 miles from home right now), it is time to find new friends... at least online.

Anyway, those are just a few of the things that I could think of that I think you need to keep off the internet. The big thing is to think before you post and remember that once it is out there... it is out there forever.