Facebook Status Updates: Dos and Don'ts

Anyone under the age of 40 knows Facebook is the number one social networking site for keeping in touch. People login to Facebook to connect with friends, former classmates, colleagues, and to share pictures, video, and songs with their 'Facebook friends'.

A Facebook status is basically a way for you to let the world know what you are doing at the moment, what you are thinking, or what music you have been listening to, or where you are going later. You can set your Facebook privacy settings to determine who knows what. It is a way for everyone in your Facebook contacts to hear from you, get an insight into your personality, and to maybe share an inside joke or chuckle.

There are some definite do's and don'ts that are pretty widely accepted in the world of regular Facebook users that will help you determine just what you should say or not say when posting your status updates on Facebook.

Do keep it clean. Remember, your more 'colorful' friends are not the only people seeing your Facebook status update. Anyone who comments on it opens your status up for their friends to see as well. Cursing and telling racist, homophobic, or otherwise distasteful jokes or comments is a big Facebook status update don't.

Don't use your status update to insult someone. This is in poor taste. It is immature to use your status to insult someone who you know will see it.

Don't continuously reply to your own status update in order to extend it (when no one has replied yet). If what you have to express is too long to be used as a Facebook status, it is better to write a note and tag the people you want to see it.

Do make sure to reply to your status update if you have received questions or comments. It is not good Facebook etiquette to leave people hanging. For example, if your status update is something like, "OMG, I met the cast of Twilight tonight!" or "I got a virus when I fell for a phony Facebook login, watch out!" , people are going to respond asking for details. It is only polite to expand on your huge Facebook announcement.

Don't provide TMI (too much information) in your Facebook status update. There are subtle ways to let the world know what you are experiencing. If you must tell the world you have menstrual cramps, a more dignified way is to simply say, "I am feeling under the weather". People don't really need to know you are on your period, do they?

Do be a bit more specific. You can be specific without wandering into TMI (too much information). There is such a thing as being too vague on your Facebook status updates. It is so annoying when people post things such as, "Certain people need to think twice about what they did or I will defriend them." Then, at least 50% of your Facebook friends are going to become paranoid that they've done something wrong. If you must use Facebook as a way of threatening to defriend someone, at least be a tad more specific. "Please don't pass my pictures to people I don't know. I will have to defriend people who do that" would be a better status update.

Don't threaten to leave Facebook in a dramatic Facebook status update. This is so melodramatic. Either leave, or don't, or post an update expressing your recent dissatisfaction. Don't post a long-winded status update threatening to leave. You're not going anywhere and you know it.

These are just a few tips on how to present a better face on your Facebook status updates. Now, go login to Facebook and implement some of them!