A large chunk of my Facebook friends are what I consider to be acquaintances in the real world and that’s probably giving them too much credit. I’m sure they’re great people, but in reality I barely know them.
On the flip-side, I know way too much about an old acquaintance’s sister. No, I’m not some kind of creepy Facebook stalker. She’s my Facebook “friend” who posts statuses about anything and everything. She is the epitome of the social media joke – someone who updates their status on the toilet, on the bus, when they picked their nose. She has no filter for things not to share. She shares too much. I know I can just hide her from my feed or de-friend her, but damn, she’s hot. TMI?
Here’s 38 things not to share on social networking sites
1. Personal conversations – don’t post chunks of private emails, Instant Messages or texts without permission.
2. Open invites to all friends meant only for a few – “who wants to go for a drive?”
3. Social plans – it will make uninvited friends feel left out.
4. Date analysis – if your ex is still a friend or follower, dont talk about the date you just had or will be having.
5. Employer secrets – don’t want to get fired? Keep planned products, expansions or layoffs private until your boss releases information publicly.
6. Photos of your kids publicly – if you don’t restrict access to your profile, family photos are there for everyone to see. Keep your kids safe from dodgy strangers.
7. Your home address and phone number – File this one under security risk.
8. Personal finance information – don’t blab about how much money you make, your bank account size or how much that new car cost. You just look like a douchebag.
9. Your password or password secret hint – seems pretty obvious. If you’ve lost your password, commonly it can be retrieved by answering a security question – often, your first pet’s name, so don’t share it publicly.
10. Remember, the Facebook Comments plugin on other sites posts those comments to your wall.
11. Embarrassing photos of yourself or friends – yes, it may seem funny at the time but not when a potential employer rejects your job application because of what they’ve seen.
12. Pictures of your credit card – people actually do this. Proud of your platinum AMEX card? Whatever. *cough* douche *cough*
13. Pictures of any bodily function – you after a big night out. Your kid during potty training.
14. You’re about to go on vacation – just invite thieves over to steal your stuff while you’re gone.
15. A naked selfie – no explanation required.
16. Facebook game updates – I don’t care about Farmville or BubbleWhatever. Just stop.
17. Pictures of your drunk boss flirting with the girls from HR at the work Christmas party.
18. That you are having an affair or thinking about it.
19. Complaints about your boss or colleagues.
20. Complaints that you hate your job and want to leave. You might get your wish – involuntarily.
21. Post pictures of the party from the night before you called in sick for work.
22. That are you are planning to take a sickie.
23. Try gather personal support when having argument with a friend.
24. Ask for advice or fish for sympathy when having issues with your parents.
25. What you had for breakfast – no-one gives a shit!
26. Reveal your thoughts about a court case when on jury duty.
27. If you use Facebook or Twitter primarily for personal use, don’t constantly promote your business.
28. Reveal extreme views on race, religion or politics.
29. Update Facebook after you’ve escaped from jail.
30. Sexually explicit content – criminal laws related to pornography may come into play. It may also come back to haunt you years down the road.
31. False or untrue statements about someone – you could get sued for defamation but in a more human sense, you can easily hurt someone’s feelings or damage their reputation.
32. Gory pictures – don’t post pictures with blood or any living thing coming to harm.
33. Drug use – don’t be dumb. Keep the bong pictures to yourself – for your own sake.
34. Bullying – the most serious problems in schools today. Vicious treatment and hateful words between students often lead to violence, suicide, depression and discrimination among young people.
35. Precise location check-Ins – like your home address, work address or even favorite cafe. You’re just making it easier for stalkers to track you down.
36. Threaten violence – when authorities are notified about a threat, they have the right to investigate — and they will.
37. Confessions – got something to admit to a loved one? Do it in private first.
38. And for the record…
