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Social Networking Etiquette |
Raise your hand if you are addicted to Facebook. It’s okay. You are not the only one. I spoke to a new user just a couple of days ago, and she said, “That Facebook is addictive! I find myself thinking, ‘I wonder what is happening on Facebook? I wonder if I have any new friend requests?’ I’m spending WAY too much time on there!” If you are a Facebook user, you probably know exactly what she is talking about. If you are NOT a Facebook user, you probably fall into one of two categories: either you don’t feel you are tech savvy enough to manage it, or you don’t really think it is any big deal. I encourage those of you in the second category to try it out. I think you’ll be surprised.
But for those of us who are already on the Facebook bandwagon, I would like to offer a few etiquette tips. These apply to other social networking sites as well, and a few even apply to e-mail.
 Please don’t type in ALL CAPS unless you have really, really exciting news or are in some sort of distress. It is the same as shouting. If your status says, “Jane Doe IS JUST HANGING OUT WITH THE FAMILY AND RELAXING,” it sends conflicting messages. Kind of like the boy who cried wolf. I don’t understand how this happens, anyway. Do you accidentally hit your caps lock key and fail to notice it? Are you doing it on purpose? - Please stop sending requests from applications. Every single time an application asks you to suggest friends or send requests or gifts to friends, you have the option to skip the step. Look around. Somewhere on that page is the word “skip.” Use that button! It will set you free! And it will set me (and others who avoid applications) free from all the annoying requests.
- I talked about this last month, but don’t click on links. Especially video links. At all. They could open up your account to a hacker. Granted, some links are perfectly legitimate. To find out if a link is legitimate, contact the person who posted it/sent it. If their account has been hacked, they will have no idea that they have been posting/sending links. If not, they can reassure you that the link is safe.
- If someone ignores your friend request, don’t keep sending it over and over. They don’t want to be your friend. They’re just not that into you. Don’t be hurt. There are plenty of people who want to be your friend. Just let it go.
- Don’t post/send chain letters. You know what I’m talking about. They say things like, “Repost and tag 30 people or you don’t love Jesus and you’ll have bad luck for the next 30 years and your head will fall off.” There is no such thing as a Facebook post or e-mail that can prove your love for Jesus (or lack thereof), affect your “luck,” or cause your head to fall off. Just ignore/delete them.
I could go on, but this is a good start. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and I wish you a healthy and prosperous New Year from all of us at Beasley Technology!
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