Facebook .....and work

[bah12]

Take it for the warning that it was meant to be.  This isn't about ratting you out, it's about the very real fact that whatever you post on the internet is out there for all to see.  I advise to keep facebook and work totally separate entities.

[kingsrings]

POD to everything already said on here. That’s why I refuse to friend anyone from work, although no one from work has ever requested me yet, so it’s a moot point for now.

But I also work in community theater and have many friends from that on my friends list. Now I do sometimes like to use my profile status to vent about things I am upset about and need support/advice for, it’s very helpful and supportive to me. However, I would never do this about any theater conundrum I am facing just because of those on my friends list. It’s hard, because then I don’t get the support and advice I need when I’m faced with a problem regarding that. But I don’t need the added stress of my stage manager, director, or co-stars reading about how unhappy I am with a situation they’re involved in, nor do I want potential theater goers to stay away from coming to a show because I’m making it look like it’s not going to be very good. Now there’s way to post about something one is upset with without naming anyone or a situation, but you have to be very careful and vague about it. For instance, I can just post something like, “kingsrings is stressed out and frustrated right now”, that doesn’t mention anyone or any situation.

[Queenie]

Your boss was generous in coming to you with that information, many bosses would not be nearly as gracious!  Clearly you have an enemy in the office, one that wants to see harm come to you.

Quit posting about work on FB period.  Just because you set your privacy setting to "Private" does not mean someone with skills can't get access to your page in a heartbeat if they want to.  There is no such thing as true privacy on the internet unless you have time, money and absolutely mad computer security skills.

Always, always keep personal and work life completely separate, this will serve you well.

[Animala]

1. Do not have people from work on your facebook.
2. Have it set to private.
3. Do not vent about work on facebook
4. Be mindful of what you leave on other people's facebooks as it can be read by people who aren't your facebook friends.
5. Make yourself "unsearchable".
6. Use a different email for your facebook than for your professional life.

[MayHug]

Your boss was generous in coming to you with that information, many bosses would not be nearly as gracious!  Clearly you have an enemy in the office, one that wants to see harm come to you.

Quit posting about work on FB period.  Just because you set your privacy setting to "Private" does not mean someone with skills can't get access to your page in a heartbeat if they want to.  There is no such thing as true privacy on the internet unless you have time, money and absolutely mad computer security skills.

Always, always keep personal and work life completely separate, this will serve you well.

I think saying its an enemy in the office is a harsh assumption. I had to turn in someone in my office who used my name on their facebook during her venting. I turned her in because I wanted it stopped, not because shes my enemy. In fact I asked the boss not to fire her even though it was a fireable offense.

[jimithing]

Your boss was generous in coming to you with that information, many bosses would not be nearly as gracious!  Clearly you have an enemy in the office, one that wants to see harm come to you.

Quit posting about work on FB period.  Just because you set your privacy setting to "Private" does not mean someone with skills can't get access to your page in a heartbeat if they want to.  There is no such thing as true privacy on the internet unless you have time, money and absolutely mad computer security skills.

Always, always keep personal and work life completely separate, this will serve you well.

I think saying its an enemy in the office is a harsh assumption. I had to turn in someone in my office who used my name on their facebook during her venting. I turned her in because I wanted it stopped, not because shes my enemy. In fact I asked the boss not to fire her even though it was a fireable offense.

I was going to say something very similar. Perhaps the person that the OP admitted to making a meanspirited comment about found out about it and went to the boss. If one of my coworkers was going around, saying nasty things about me, in a public place, you can bet I would take that to the boss.

[BuffaloFang]

I used to complain about my work when Facebook had stricter privacy policies (I didn't even have an add friend button so I could avoid awkward declines on my page).  But I was very careful about NEVER having any coworkers on my page, even the ones I liked and trusted.

Now, unfortunately, due to the fact that I found a job through a friend (who I was already friends with on Facebook), and the laxer security settings (why must i have an add button?) I have a whole horde of my coworkers on my friend list.  Even though I trust most of them, I don't complain about work anymore beyond saying "Yay friday!"

If there's even a remote chance what you're saying getting back to your boss, you have to censor.  It's a sad fact of the new age we live in.  Our private lives are no longer as private as we like; google has made anything in your past much easier for anyone to find, and the line of demarcation on different personalities as far as work vs. personal has been blurred.

I for one am not a fan of it, but it is what it is.    So your boss did you a favor before you blew up about something huge.  Good luck!

[Twik]

Our private lives are no longer as private as we like....

They're certainly not when we post them on the internet!

(And if that's not "as private as you like", I can think of an easy solution.)

[BuffaloFang]

Our private lives are no longer as private as we like....

They're certainly not when we post them on the internet!

(And if that's not "as private as you like", I can think of an easy solution.)

Well, I meant more that many things you'd think were private no longer are. And many things get posted on the internet about you that you know nothing about.  For example, many of my race times have somehow gotten compiled on athlinks.com without my knowledge of the fact (i only found out by googling my name).  Also, just by joining a professional association, I managed to get my place of work/phone number posted on the internet as well (luckily I now work somewhere else).  People can also now take pictures of random people and post them on the internet for amusement as well.  So there are a lot of invasions of privacy that you can do nothing about.  Just look at People of Walmart

[Twik]

True, but when people get upset about "I put it on Facebook, and someone I didn't intend to read it did," I think people are misunderstanding how the whole thing works.

Facebook and blogs are not the equivalent of previous generation's combination of diaries and hand-written letters. They are more like having your own newspaper column. If you must express feelings in writing that you don't want people to see, the internet is a bad place to do so.

[Alida]

I know that my boss is on Facebook, so I am VERY careful not to vent about work on my page, beyond maybe a mention about how crazy busy things have been. I don't want to take any chances of causing any harm to my career.

This!  My boss isn't on Facebook - I can't even get him to text message - but we work for a company where, when I accidentally left my resume public on Monster, knew within 2 days!  I never, ever, ever assume anything is even semi-private, and keep comments about work limited to positive things.

[MissRose]

I know many people I work with friend others on FB in the office.

My co-workers know I use facebook, but I will not accept friend requests from those I work with at all.  No one worries about even asking me, and I don't actively search out co-workers.

I would prefer to keep my private life private & personal, and have taken necessary steps to ensure my profile is as private as possible on the social networking sites I have accounts.  If I need a vent about work, I ensure its in a way that doesn't identify my work place or others.

[Firecat]

I know many people I work with friend others on FB in the office.

My co-workers know I use facebook, but I will not accept friend requests from those I work with at all.  No one worries about even asking me, and I don't actively search out co-workers.

I would prefer to keep my private life private & personal, and have taken necessary steps to ensure my profile is as private as possible on the social networking sites I have accounts.  If I need a vent about work, I ensure its in a way that doesn't identify my work place or others.

POD. Some of my co-workers know I have a Facebook account, but they also know that I'm not comfortable friending anyone from work, no matter how well we get along. It has nothing to do with liking them or not liking them; it has to do with keeping my personal life personal. And I keep my profile set so that you have to be a friend to see it.

[Shoo]

I agree that if we post stuff about ourselves on the internet, someone, somewhere, whom we don't intend to see it, *will* see it.

My solution is to never post anything I would be embarassed by or ashamed of in any way.  That way, it doesn't matter who sees it. 

[Nurvingiel]

Take it for the warning that it was meant to be.  This isn't about ratting you out, it's about the very real fact that whatever you post on the internet is out there for all to see.  I advise to keep facebook and work totally separate entities.

This, though I personally don't follow this advice. But Bah is absolutely right that it isn't about ratting on you. I think your boss was very professional and helpful in telling you about this.

Put it out of your mind, and be more professional if you write anything about work on your wall.

Personally I have friended people from work, but I hardly ever write anything about work at all. I never complain about work on Facebook, ever. My policy is not to write anything I wouldn't say aloud to a group consisting of all my coworkers and my parents.