Social media is a great way to share information quickly….that is the good news.  It is also the bad news! The popularity of sites like Facebook and Myspace make it easy for people to stay in touch and keep tabs on what’s new….but, what if people want to share details about you….that you don’t want everyone to know…..then what do you do?

People are discovering that they may be exposing too much information about themselves on social media sites.  In addition to issues related to the practice of YOU sharing too much info about YOU (someone I know recently posted that he was in the bathroom at Starbucks), is the large issue that you cannot control what your friends say about you and to each other. To make matters even worse, even if you block them, they can log on as someone else and continue to post comments for all to see or just post their comments on their own pages.

Think of social media as a big “room” where anyone can talk to anyone at anytime……..you can also jump from “room” to “room” to meet with any of your friends (and their friends). You can also access the conversations for total strangers that do not control their profile and access…..as we are finding out, this is good and bad all at the same time.

Here is a recent example I found of a man and woman that were getting divorced. The wife was posting angry comments on the husband’s Facebook wall. The husband was embarrassed and tried to block the wife from posting any future comments. Ever after the husband blocked her access; she continued to post comments by logging on as another friend.

One last “gotcha” is that HR folks and lawyers can make use of this data too. HR folks and recruiters routinely access social media sites looking for information regarding candidates. Exposing too much information to potential employers about our social lives can be an issue whether we like it or not. Attorneys are using data gathered from Social Media sites in divorce cases where people are posting information regarding boyfriends, girlfriends and gifts.

Why is this happening? The early users of Social Media are aging and employers are becoming more savvy. Social networking is great for connecting, but not so much for disconnecting, therefore resulting in a online tabloid where people are reduced to airing their dirty laundry in front of their friends and co-workers….it is real reality TV.

How did this all start? Well…..with Google. The popular search engine enabled all of us to become private eyes — we can look up anyone and anything on the Internet with the simple click of the mouse. Social media was just the next step to complete and open access to everyone’s “digital dirt” 24X7.

What can I do?

• Remember that once a pic or message is out on the internet, then it is generally out in the public domain for good….so the best thing to do is to not post questionable information.
• Be careful who you friend and make sure that your security settings are as tight as they can be……many profiles let anyone see anything….not good.
• Everyone should make a habit of searching yourself to see what comes up.  This is called Narcisurfing……be sure to go to multiple search engines and see what is out there.
• If you find something about you that is objectionable, you should try to remove it or contact the webmaster of the site and get them to remove it.
• Be sure to manage your profile regularly.

Can you turn the tables? Yes, of course you can. If you are a job seeker, use Google to learn something about your interviewer and potentially establish rapport during the interview. Social media can actually help you. LinkedIn is a great source for useful professional information.

Have fun being social….but don’t be too social….if you know what I mean!

Networking sites have become wildly popular on the internet, but they’re not just for socializing. Unlike MySpace and Facebook, which seem to keep people updated on your personal life……LinkedIn keeps people in the loop about your career and professional accomplishments. These days, many are turning to LinkedIn to find a job since LinkedIn is becoming so popular. LinkedIn is a free social networking tool that enables you to build a network quickly. I have over 7,000,000 connections in my network which includes everyone that I know, everyone that my connections know and everyone that they know……in LinkedIn you are connected 3 layers deep to anyone in your network.

The first suggestion I have is make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and complete. A completed profile dramatically increases your chances for success in the LinkedIn world. A completed profile is a photo, your current job, at least two previous jobs, a summary, any specialties you have, at least 3 recommendations and your educational background. This may sound like a lot, but it isn’t. You can round up this information and get recommendations from your friends in no time and you will be surprised how much more effective you are on LinkedIn. In fact, I got a new project for G.1440 on Wednesday through LinkedIn.

Next, check out the jobs tab. You will see every job that your network is recruiting for. In my network right now there are over 300 positions that are unfilled……amazing. The next step is to use the company tab……in this tab you will find a listing of all the companies that are in your network and your connections networks. In this listing, you can target companies that are hiring or companies that you want to meet.

Last but not least, be sure to join some groups that are relevant to you and that you share an interest with. I have joined groups from former employer as well as Towson and Loyola for both undergrad and graduate degrees.

These are some of the major steps to using LinkedIn to find a new position or career, however the best strategy is to just get in there and start connecting…..you will figure out what is best for you. One other word of advice…….start networking now….it will pay off whether you stay with your current employer or not. Feel free to find me on LinkedIn and send me a request to link.

Tweeting is the new linking, which was the new poking. What do all of these terms actually mean?! The words are part of the social networking jargon that millions of people use daily to interact with each other over the Internet.

Tweeting, the newest term among the three, refers to the increasingly popular communication service available at www.Twitter.com. [Ed. Note: Linking is a way to connect on LinkedIn, and poking is a feature on Facebook.]

Twitter has become a hit in the social networking world by moving beyond the typical categorizing of who you know by allowing users to become more personal and document their activities, thoughts, or interests any time during the day.

After signing up for a free account, users simply answer the one question “What are you doing?” to get started.

The space provided only allows for answers fewer than 140 characters. However, the content can be about anything the user wishes to share.

In addition to posting general content, Twitters can respond to other posters by using the @ sign in front of another person’s username. As a result, the response is sent directly to the username that was referenced.

Twitter users can also “follow” the updates of another user. By clicking the follow option, the username is added to a database, and the status updates are transferred to a home page. It offers a one-stop online location to receive updates and keep others informed.

Twitter updates can be made via the Internet portal, a cell phone text or an instant message.

As the service continues to grow among consumers, businesses as well as government organizations have started to take notice and release tweet updates of their own.

On a daily basis, the White House releases tweets about such topics as upcoming presidential addresses, press briefings, and policy updates.

Similarly, The Denver Post uses Twitter to keep readers up-to-date on late breaking news. Tweets are typically posted every few minutes.

Twitter is an exciting new tool to incorporate into one’s social network. From keeping in touch with a friend’s whereabouts to learning of the newest local restaurant opening, Twitter can further extend our exposure to valuable information.

Original Post Date – 10/03/2008