By Guest Writer Debra Fine
In a digital world where you have a platform to share every detail of
your life – photographs, employment information, marital status, who
your friends are, political and religious views – you are completely
exposed to virtual vulnerability. The younger generation may not care
about the implications of their online actions. However, it's the adult
users making social networking mistakes that can affect their real and
computer-generated image long-term. With a single click of a button on
Facebook, MySpace or Twitter, you can completely undermine your
identity. Here are some simple tips to execute proper digital
etiquette and help make your online persona appropriate and effective.
Privatize Your Page – Before you even begin posting personal
information on a Webpage, know how to operate your restriction
settings. Social networks offer you options such as who can see your
profile page and who is privy to certain information within your
profile. So use the necessary controls to protect yourself....and your
cyber-self.
Know Your Audience – Is your profile page for personal or professional
use? This can be a tough line to draw. Ideally you would want to keep
two pages – one for personal use and one for business purposes,
especially if you have your own business. There can be overlap though,
so think before you click. Should you accept or reject a boss,
co-worker or client who asks you to be "friends?" If you feel compelled
to add someone who exists in your professional world to your personal
page, limit his or her access to only see parts of your profile (i.e.,
let them see your basic background information, but not pictures of you
drinking with your buddies in Las Vegas).
Post with Prudence and Display with Discretion – As scary as it might
be, people are "googling" you. And, when they do, your social network
profile page is popping up. There are settings to change this, but if
you are OK with making your personal page public, ensure you know
exactly what you're sharing. Do you want a potential future employer to
know your age? Or a business partner to know your political stance? Or
an ex-boyfriend to know you're pregnant? You'd be surprised how much
people can find out about you based on what you or others have posted.
Avoid over-sharing and controversial content to preserve your online
social stock.
Delete, Delete, Delete – Don't be afraid to delete comments or pictures
your "friends" post on your page. As an online citizen, you need to
know how to do this and not be afraid to do it. Revealing photos, tales
of wild exploits on your "wall" and less than tasteful comments can
lead to a digital disaster, so delete them!
Don't Drink and Friend – Well, let's hope you're not sitting at home,
or even worse, your office, downing a bottle of wine and scoping out
potential cyber friends, but as a reminder, don't go around recklessly
"friending" folks. Before you run off sending friend requests to your
junior-high crush or Brad Pitt, consider if you really care about being
"friends" with this person. And furthermore, could you handle the
rejection factor that may follow if they don't accept your request?
Social networks can be a great tool to re-connect with old friends,
network with industry counterparts and get involved in your community,
but that doesn't mean you should go around building your "friend"
database with every person you've ever met. The same goes for accepting
friend requests that come to your mailbox. If you haven't talked to
someone in years (because you haven't wanted to talk with that person
in years) or if someone appears to be a stranger, you can ignore his or
her request without rudely hitting the reject button.
Use Virtual Vernacular – The words you use on your Webpage should be
different from what you would say in an email to a close friend. Avoid
curse words, insults, inappropriate jokes and any other jargon that
could be deemed tasteless. In addition to sterilizing your page, be
respectful of what you post on another's profile, as it is all linked
to you.
Social networking can be a great way to increase your online
visibility, and connect with new and old associates. When you use your
social networking smarts, you can enhance your credibility and build
your business or career with a few clicks of the mouse. But, if you
fail to use proper digital etiquette, you can find yourself losing
credibility, clients, and business opportunities just as easily. The
choice is permanent, because the Internet never forgets or forgives
your missteps...so proceed with enthusiasm as well as caution.
_______________
Debra Fine is a former engineer now a bestselling author, keynote
speaker and conversation guru. Debra's bestselling book The Fine Art of
Small Talk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, Build Rapport
and Leave a Positive Impression (Hyperion) joins her 2008 release of
The Fine Art of the Big Talk: How to Win Clients, Deliver Great
Presentations and Solve Conflicts at Work (Hyperion). Her recent media
appearances include The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN, NPR Morning
Edition and 100's of magazines and newspapers across the United States.
For more information about Debra Fine visit wwwDebraFine.com.
