In the World of Social Networking … Be Wary of Your Idiot Friends

The following is a public service announcement /slash/ random rant.

Remember when the only people you were “connected” with on Myspace or Facebook were your close friends? The guys/gals you played beer pong with on the weekends, shared extremely inappropriate jokes with, and felt free to discuss any topic at all with - which in turn carried over to your social network of choice.

Well your idiot friends are still using Facebook. But so are your parents. And your kid sister. And most importantly, your boss (and your boss’s boss).

Sure we can remember fondly the days where it was totally appropriate to post references to reproductive organs on your buddy’s wall. But those days are gone now. We have to move on. Your boss doesn’t need to know why your friends gave you the nickname “jellyfish”. He doesn’t want to see pictures of your drunken weekend extravaganza.

Employers are searching the web to dig up dirt on every new applicant. If it comes down between some polite guy using the default Myspace page layout and you with your “Touch the Rockies” themed Myspace page, who do you think is going to get the job?

But it doesn’t just end with personal responsibility. In fact, making sure you don’t act like an idiot is the easy part. Where it gets tough is when your idiot friends become involved. No matter how many times you ask them to be careful what they post on your wall, they’re going to throw some crap up there every once in a while. So take it down.

Do yourself a favor and be wary of your idiot friends. God knows they’re lovable … but just keep an eye on them.