Social Media

[Warkitty]

Not for the first time, I've seen a bunch of folks (on a different message forum) expounding on a concern about social media such as facebook. They speak of not getting on there for fear of their bosses reading something, or family members, or being friended by ex-girlfriends, or current girlfriends seeing comments or pictures posted by other women and getting upset.

So I wondered, how many people here share such concerns? I am aware that in some cases potential employers will check for facebook or other social media pages to get a handle on potential employees, but what criteria are they theoretically using if and when they find such a page? If the security settings don't allow them to see more than very basic information, is there still a problem? Is the fear that you'll enter something that's taken wrong? Lastly, how is it so different to engage in message forums as a form of social media rather than facebook (or livejournal or myspace or twitter).

[daworm]

I don't join FB et al mainly because I don't have time for this place, much less any others. Not enough hours in the day as it is.

[Conservator]

I'm on fb... and there's definitely a fear of family, friends & work all mixing into one big forum... They don't all mix.
It kinda sucks cause I have to refrain from commenting on some fun things - cause everyone you're friends with (including my mom!) can see...

[Warkitty]

I'm lucky my parents have a great sense of humor and aren't prudes.

[Justin Thyme]

I'm not much concerned about employers reading anything on Facebook. I've much more of my thoughts and ideas out on my weblog over the past nine years than I'll ever put on FB. I'm boring enough that I doubt an employer would even blink at what I write.

[el Gusano]

If you don't put anything out there to be ashamed of, you have nothing to worry about.

[Justin Thyme]

And if you don't do anything to be ashamed of there's nothing to write about to be ashamed of.

[BlackFox]

Nov 23, 2009 14:20:52 GMT -5 el Gusano said:

If you don't put anything out there to be ashamed of, you have nothing to worry about.

That Psalms 109 reference in your signature is pretty shameful. Are you comparing Obama to King David? Are you saying that King David was wrong? What are you trying to say by writing "Pray for Obama, Psalms -109.8"?

[rstewart]

Nov 23, 2009 16:05:14 GMT -5 BlackFox said:

Nov 23, 2009 14:20:52 GMT -5 el Gusano said:

If you don't put anything out there to be ashamed of, you have nothing to worry about.

That Psalms 109 reference in your signature is pretty shameful. Are you comparing Obama to King David? Are you saying that King David was wrong? What are you trying to say by writing "Pray for Obama, Psalms -109.8"?

Absolutely King David was wrong. He was a murderer. How could he not be wrong?

[Justin Thyme]

www.pbc.org/files/messages/3739/0394.html

[el Gusano]

Ashamed? Far from it.

I do pray that his days ruining our nation are short.

Other than that, it's humor, taking a verse out of context, as so many do with things such as "judge not".

If I lose a job because of that, I probably don't want to work there anyway.

Either that, or we need a government job to force them to give me a job anyway.

ETA: Another one that I like to use for humor that is taking a verse out of context is the one that tells us what kind of car the apostles drove. I always assumed it would be something like a 12 passenger van or a mini-bus, but I was wrong.

[BlackFox]

So basically you're saying "God damn him". Nice. You're willing to pervert your own holy book. To call on people to pray against Obama the words that some Israelites used against King David. You're a great American.

[Justin Thyme]

So basically this is getting completely threadjacked and I'm as guilty as anyone for this happening. Fork this into another topic, preferably in the Debate forum and lets get this one back on to social networks.

[Scarlet&Gray]

Secret Service might get involved.

[RuneDeer]

Back to the original topic, which is interesting enough, TYVM.

I actually have 2 FB pages, one for co-workers and in-laws. I keep that slightly more accessible, but also very boring for that reason. The other one is more "me." However, I do occasionally wonder who some people are that just kind of come out of the woodwork and want to be my friend, when we seem to have little or nothing in common. I'm keeping my antennae out, and if they twitch, these mysterious new friends will be unfriended in a hurry -- I think that's the only way my privacy could be breached. Beyond that, anybody who disapproves of my page content or friends can, well, go somewhere else. I like Facebook a lot. Like this forum, it's given me a nice sense of community.

[BlackFox]

Sorry, I'm done.

This forum is the only internet social medium I belong to. I've thought about getting on some others, but just never have done it.

[Bob]

First time I ever came close to deleting posts because they are so far off topic. (so if you notice a post missing, think to yourself "was it stupid?")

back on topic.

I have accounts on both. Its a little odd that models and family are my friends but since almost everyone has family as friends, facebok tends to be a little more "G" than myspace.

Some of my family members look down and shake their heads but they would regardless...

[Justin Thyme]

I'm at the age now that my family generally worries about what I think now rather than the other way around.

[ScarlettP]

Nov 23, 2009 14:20:52 GMT -5 el Gusano said:

If you don't put anything out there to be ashamed of, you have nothing to worry about.

AMEN!

Once upon a time, my Grandmother and my Mother both gave me the same advice: Never put anything in writing, or take a photo, that you don't want printed on the front page of the News paper.

While that advice is a touch antiquated, it is easily updated by saying "Don't post anything on the internet that you don't want to be spread all over the world on Joke of the Day or Fark. (or PeopleofWalmart.com for that matter.)

I believe that the problem is more exaggerated by the antics of the younger ones than by those of us who are a touch more mature and know better. So many high school and college kids (and, sadly, younger ones) are posting risque photos or documenting their risky behavior not realizing that even if "Only my friends can see it" - they are still 'putting it out there'. The best, truest friend or lover today can become your worst enemy in a very short time over the most obscure and unforeseeable occurrence. They have downloads of those embarrassing photos and access to the web. You have Zero control over what they do with that loaded gun that you handed them on a silver platter.

So, if you don't want things to come back and bite you in the ass, don't post it!

[Walker, Texas Ranger]

I've lived a good portion of my life in a "public" setting online. From BBS's to Usenet to the heydays of GEnie and AOL on through message forums and now modern social media, I've always had a very public face.

That said, I learned a very long time ago where the line is between public face and private life. Too many people who are new to social media have yet to find that balance, and, yes it is affecting them.

What we are seeing is a continual evolution of new mores and learned behaviour, and from a purely sociological standpoint, I find it rather fascinating.

[NewsShooter]

I am sort of in the same boat with Gary. Since my 20's, I've been working in TV and now on radio so I've always been "out there" for people to see and poke fun at. I always make sure I keep my FB and MySpace posts general and not-too-revealing. If anyone thinks they really know me from either, they're probably a little off the mark. Even people who work with me don't know the whole story. Not that there's anything dark ... I'm just NOT THAT INTERESTING. Plus, being in the news, I have to maintain a pretty high level of neutrality. I can't show bias that would lead someone to believe that my newscast was in some way tainted by my personal beliefs.

[radiodrama]

That is why I got into radio in the first place, I did not have to be seen and i could tweak my voice just enough so people never recognized it. The times I had done TV I hated it, cause people would see me out and know who I was. But I do think people put some pretty open stuff on their social networks. But family and true friends know me, and I hope accept me for who I am flawed and all. Yeah I talk about my love for the smoke alot, and some other stuff. But on facebook I just dont spend enough time on there to put anything too personal. Besides I am a boring person. I do tend to keep my professional life way away from personal.

[Warkitty]

I just find it fascinating that I keep coming across people saying they don't have an online presence BECAUSE they worry about what others would think of them. Especially since so many of the same people really don't have any oddities about them to worry about. I mean, if they're furries and post about THAT maybe, but... I even have one friend that closed her FB account because she had a pretty good lock on getting a job and wanted to make sure there was NOTHING online they could find that they'd not like.
I'm pretty open about a lot in my life, here and elsewhere.

[Tookie]

I would rather people be themselves online than make up a personality that is not them.

And this is what one thing that can happen if you're not aware of the power of the internet.

A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the popular social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday — evidence that she is no longer depressed, Manulife said.

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." It confirmed that it uses the popular social networking site to investigate clients.


www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/11/19/quebec-facebook-sick-leave-benefits.html

[RuneDeer]

We should all take a picture of ourselves hurling, so that if we ever have to call in sick...

[ScarlettP]

Be sure to bring your cameras to the Notta Christmas party. With enough drinking, there could be hurling.

[Deleted]

> I would rather people be themselves online than make up a personality that is not them.


Oh, absolutely!



(Bob, I'll put your new keyboard in tomorrow's mail.)