Everyone is online. Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, or any other social networking site, most people these days have an online presence. This presence consists of friends, pictures, groups, professional connections, videos, and opinions. With all this social networking, it's easy to establish a false sense of security and believe that only you and your friends see what you are adding to your profile.
In many cases colleagues, employers, and customers also have access to what you put online. According to a 2009 survey by Proofpoint, Inc., among companies with more than 1,000 employees, 8 percent said they have fired someone over online behavior, 15 percent for breaking multimedia sharing policies, and 17 percent for going against message board or blog policies.
So, without further ado, here are 10 social media lessons learned and the blunder behind them, in no particular order:
Lesson #1: Don't criticize your employer. It's surprising how the obvious seems to evade some people. Be careful what you say about your boss, colleagues, and company online.
Blunder: A west gate chief for the Philadelphia Eagles’ stadium let his frustration over the move of a player to another team show on Facebook, bashing his employer, and promptly lost his job.
Lesson #2: Don't say negative things about your community. Chances are what you say will come back to haunt your organization.
Blunder: A simple opinionated Tweet by the VP-director of Ketchum Interactive, about their client, FedEx's, community was noticed by FedEx, was spread through email, and landed James Andrews of Ketchum in hot water. Although he still has a job, the story lives on in infamy and will probably effect both companies for some time to come.
Lesson #3: Keep confidential information confidential. Some information used at work is not meant to be shared. In fact, some information is illegal to share. Be safe and keep all work information at work and off your social networking sites.
Blunder: Five hospital employees at Tri-City Medical Center in California lost their jobs for talking about patient cases on Facebook.
Lesson #4: Be professional on and off the clock. What you post tells your employer a lot about who you are.
Blunder: Two firefighters in Milwaukee who were fired for posting a video to YouTube with derogatory language and racial slurs can testify to that.
Lesson #5: Remember you are a company representative no matter where you are. Whether you are setting out to represent your organization or not, often times you are seen as a representative and expected to act like one.
Blunder: Two police officers in Washington lost their jobs after they were involved in posting pictures and comments that demonstrated behavior deemed unbecoming of someone in their position. Although there was nothing illegal about their actions, Washington State Patrol officials let the officers decide to resign or be fired after receiving a complaint about the content.
Lesson #6: Be careful who you connect with. Make sure your social media connections are the kind of people you aren't embarrassed to be connected to and who only help your reputation and image. Make sure the groups you are a part of are not controversial in your industry or advocate illegal behavior.
Blunder: Almost a dozen AWOL Afghan military members were tracked down through Facebook. And that's not all, some were found to be members of a Facebook group that includes content from an Al Qaeda spokesman. Their military careers will probably never be the same.
Lesson #7: Don't complain about your customers. Chances are your company's customers are on the same social networking sites you are and can see your complaints about them.
Blunder: A waitress at a Pizza parlor in North Carolina complained about some customers, mentioned the name of the restaurant, and lost her job.
Lesson #8: Don't make threats to your company and colleges. Suggesting acts of violence is not a smart move when trying to keep your job.
Blunder: A Wal-Mart employee in Michigan joked on MySpace about bombing the stores, the boss didn't think it was funny, so the man lost his job.
Lesson #9: While you're at work, stay busy. Stay on task and stay away from online chatting and socializing, looking at pictures, watching videos, and playing online games.
Blunder: Believe it or not, a Bulgarian politician lost his job after his Farmville addiction interfered with his job and he was caught playing while at work.
Lesson #10: Don't post about job offers or interviews. Keep information and thoughts about these things to yourself.
Blunder: The overnight internet sensation quickly dubbed “Cisco Fatty" should have thought twice before she tweeted about her lack of interest in a job offer. It remains unclear whether she was offered a job at Cisco as opposed to the “fatty" pay check offer she received somewhere else. One thing is clear, her reputation will never be the same as future employers can easily find her mistake with a quick Google search.
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