Manners Please!

Some people don't know how to act properly. Unfortunately, this carries over to the internet. Facebook is the prime example of this. Many people don't know what is appropriate online and what should be kept private. Boundaries can be crossed easily when someone violates the rules of online etiquette. Posting inappropriate pictures, making explicit comments, and starting rumors are all things that at the moment seem somewhat harmless, but they can come back to hurt you later on. Actions have consequences, even online actions. What I find funny about facebook is how relationships can come to be defined by what goes on on facebook. If a couple is having problems they can put their relationship status as "it's complicated"....does the world really need to know that? Also, if pictures of you and an ex are still online, your partner might read into it and get mad. Facebook ends up having more control over the relationship than you. Naturally we are nosey people, so many do have a tendency to snoop people's profiles and see what they've been up to. I'm not saying this is right and I'm not saying this is wrong....but if you don't want people to see something, don't post it! It's put there to be viewed so people can't really get mad at someone for commenting about their facebooks. For cheerleading we were held to the standard that if there was anything inappropriate on our pages, we could risk discipline and/or being removed from the team. People would get in trouble for not going to practice and then posting on facebook that they're doing something else. Making some information public is not a good idea. I have friends that have pictures of themselves on facebook that I know they will regret someday, but right now we're in college....so anything goes I guess. People need Internet Etiquette lessons....hmmm sounds like a good course...