People put some dumb things on social networking sites.
When students leave college, improper use of these sites could result in them standing in the unemployment line. The only thing they will have to show for their college days will be a bunch of public photos of them drunk out of their minds and a paper diploma to hang on the wall.
The best way to look at these Web sites is as a way to promote your best side to the world. To do this, there have to be a few proactive steps in managing accounts.
The main goal is to have control over what is on the site. When something has been done off of the “don’t-do” list, it hands control over to other people.
The first thing is to never display your relationship status. Not everyone looking at your account needs to know that you have just been dumped.
Never talk about serious issues in your update feed. If users have been cheated on or have just been diagnosed with a fatal disease, this is the wrong way to let people know. If you have to send that information via the Internet, send messages to people privately on the Web sites.
Never post photos of yourself with alcohol. Taking a photo with booze is not great way to introduce yourself to a future employer.
Never have a conversation about a private issue on someone’s wall. Anything that follows under the guise of private, some people will read and make fun of and publicize.
While there are a horde of things that should never be done on social networking sites, there is something that should always be done to maintain the integrity of your site.
Always look at what people have posted on your wall. Anything can be removed. The things to look for are cursing. People will be judged on what others say about them on their page.
Always check your spelling. The best way to look like an idiot on social networking is to forget how to spell. There is a big difference in “dose” and “does.” When posting something, write it first in a word processor and then copy and paste.
Always, tell the truth. This should go without saying, but all lies on social networking will be found out. So never tell people you were somewhere when you weren’t.
Go through all of your applications and know who still has access to your account. Another thing is to look at the friends list. Knowing who can view your information can save a lot of awkwardness.
With doing these few things, you can drastically improve the image of you that is out there in the viral world.
