It's 2011 and we literally have the world at our finger tips. I can go on and on about how limitless our access to information is, but I'd only be telling you something you already know and I don't want to waste your time. You get it. Let's move on.
You know that little thing called the internet? I thank God for it everyday. No really, I thank God for the internet every single day. If you think that's silly try going a day without it. Bet you can't. Now from this little ole internet thing has come another thing - social media....and google. Put those two together and we're all in for a good time! Or are we? Let's hope so.
See where I'm going with this? I knew you would!
Do me a favor, google your name and browse the results. You will likely come across some stuff that you had no control over. For instance when I do this I come across a whole lot of stuff - much of which isn't me because I have the most common Hispanic name in the world, but some of it is me...and I wasn't the one who posted it. I can find my sisters names, which high school I attended, my father's address, and apparently (grrr) a whole lot of other information about myself that I never released. So now we get to the stuff I did have control over....Yeah, I said it, and then hit TWEET! Yes, I'm using the term "tweet" loosely - facebook status, gowalla/4square check-in/blog/tumblr/yada yada yada. There is a lot online that we cannot control, however there is one thing we can control - ourselves...so please do!
As much as I would love make a list of awful "tweets" that were either poorly written, incredibly inappropriate, or just plain dumb I'm not. You have eyes, you've seen it, and I will not let the foolishness live on on my page (this isn't blast.com). I WILL however, leave with you a few of my social media rules of thumb:
1. If you wouldn't want your Dad, Grand, or CEO to see it don't post it.
2. Remember this is evidence. A paper trail. Watch it! You will get busted.
3. Use spellcheck. "Dat" will never be "That," nor will "WUZ" ever be "WAS" - you will be judged.
4. Don't let social media determine your relationships. Whether it's with a friend or a significant other. If it's real, it will be real even when the power is out and batteries are dead.
5. If you are having a drink (or 5) do this one thing - STAY AWAY! Just step away from your computer and put your phone in a safe place. (This will save you in more ways than one)
6. Leave your rants at the keypad. Please don't fill my timeline with your negative energy. We all have rough days, and I'm willing to bet Monday's suck for us all.
7. Don't air your dirty laundry. If you want your business to stay your business, don't shout it on the interweb rooftops! (or your baby-mamas, friends, cousins, coworkers, or boyfriend's mama's)
8. Photos - real friends don't let friends look janky, tipsy, glossy, or BUSTED. Let your friends tag themselves and be cut-throat when untagging yourself.
9. Remember your resume, and how hard you've worked to build it.
10. Proceed with caution. Even if you have the tightest privacy setting remember digital is forever.....FOOOOOOOOOR.EVVVVVVVV.ERRRRRR.
I'll be the first to admit that I've made some unwise decisions online, but with age comes wisdom and frankly, I'm getting old. We're human and we slip up sometimes, but remember one small slip up can cause a whirlwind of trouble. (Just ask ol' weinershnitzel.)
I take pride in calling myself a "Social Media Love Child" and being able to say that I was on facebook when it was only for certain colleges. I talk in #hashtags and truly get offended when they are used incorrectly. I've seen the good, the bad, and the uncalled for on myspace, twitter, facebook, and a few others. Whether we like it or not, social media is here to stay! Say what you want but never forget:
You are what you tweet.
~A Charlie Gal
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