Facebook Faux-pas - Be Careful What You Twitter About, Too

Social networking sites like Facebook and instant messaging with Twitter allow people to stay in touch more with "status updates" and "tweets" but these sites can also be damaging if one shares too much personal information or if one uses them to rant and rave.

There have been a few publicized incidents of individuals being fired or reprimanded for blogging about something they shouldn't have-and in the case of one Korean worker a few years ago, being arrested for blogging about his marijuana adventures in Amsterdam.

Now, according to the following ABC news story, one can get fired for posting status updates or comments in jest-especially if those updates or comments allude to violent behavior or conduct unbecoming of an employee or even a student.

Unlike a blog where anyone can stumble across one's blog and posts (unless it is a private one) Facebook has privacy settings where one's personal information is only shared with his or her friends. Nonetheless, one should exercise a little caution, not to mention discretion when posting anything of a personal nature. You never know who might be cyber eavesdropping on you and the stuff you post or tweet about.

I am sometimes surprised at what some of stuff my friends have shared on Facebook in their comments and status updates. There are some personal things that I only share with my closest friends and then, only in a message or an email-not right out there in the open for everyone to read. It doesn't have to be anything of a controversial nature either. A few years ago, I was surprised when one of my friends left a comment on one of my blog posts that he probably didn't want too many people to know about-his ongoing divorce proceedings.

Personally, I do not think these sites are a good place to rant and rave or to hang out your dirty laundry. It's okay to have an opinion about one thing or another and share it with friends to gauge their opinions, but a little etiquette not to mention common sense is in order. After all, does one really know all their friends on these sites well enough to post anything of a sensitive nature or to joke about what they would like or not like to do?

To be sure, do we really believe that Facebook and Twitter are safe enough for sharing our thoughts, opinions, and feelings? Obviously, according to this new story they are not which begs an even bigger question about whether or not these sites actually protect our privacy.

Shakespeare was right when he penned, "discretion is the better part of valor." The same sentiment can be applied to the updates and comments we post on Facebook or tweet about on Twitter.