Digital Mom ~ Raising Kids in a Digital World

Facebook?

Ever wonder how to behave properly on Facebook? Etiquette expert Thelma Domenici gave the advice that follows in a column early this year. It’s worth reviewing periodically.

• “Friend” only people you actually know. That means in making a friend request and in accepting a request.
• If you get an unwanted friend request, ignore it. That is the most honest thing you can do and you won’t have the need to undo anything later.
• It is acceptable in Facebook to de-friend people, especially if you really have no connection to them even virtually or if you find their views and the items they post on your wall to be offensive. If they discover it and ask you about it, you can say honestly that you wanted to create a more manageable list.
• It is fine to make a friend request to someone you’ve just met; however, don’t be upset if they ignore it. Along those same lines, don’t be offended if you find yourself removed from someone’s list of friends. They’re not trying to offend, just creating a more manageable list.
• Keep your Facebook site personal, and only accept friends with whom you want to share your personal life. For your work life, create a LinkedIn account. Direct professional contacts there if they request to befriend you on Facebook.
• For safety’s sake, take a close look at your privacy settings, especially if you have a lot of marginal “friends.” There’s really no need to share your telephone number and email address, among other things, with everybody.

Do you have any Facebook etiquette advice from the trenches? Any lessons learned? I’m seriously considering a Facebook purge. More on that to come.

Photo credit: laikolosse (flickr.com)