As most of you should know, I handle the social media and user engagement here at My Shop Discounts. I love representing our awesome money-saving service to the public, and our users. Since this occupation involves social media, I’m basically on Facebook all day. Most of the time I love interacting with all you lovely people on social media. But sometimes people do annoying things. Here are a few rules I’ve put together that I hope we can all follow for a better online community.
Don’t let companies “Post on your behalf.” This holiday season, my feed was covered in promoted posts saying “Your friend, Jane, wants a Lanvin sweater” etc. etc. More that annoying your friends, it just makes you look bad. Facebook is for connecting with people.
If you like something, Share it! There is so much information online. We need each other to filter all the junk so that we all can enjoy the funniest memes, most interesting articles, and cutest pictures.
Don’t share your political views on anyone else’s page but yours. Yes, we get that you are red-blooded American liberal/conservative/Democrat/Republican/pirate/vegetarian. But guess what? We don’t care. If you want to plaster your views on your own page, go for it. Just keep it off of public walls.
Treat people as if you were face to face. This isn’t a Facebook rule, as much as a life rule. Yet I can’t believe how ordinarily nice people can be so rude to each other online. Maybe the lack of intimacy on the internet is to blame. People who never would raise their voice in person, seem to willing swear at each other on the internet. Part of my job is dealing with complaints. While the complaints are sometimes valid, I didn’t cause your problem, and I can’t help yo if you are just typing rude words in caps lock.
Still not cool
Don’t take a photo of yourself in the mirror. Reflections reduces attractiveness by at least 12 points. They also make you look like a tool.
Always assume everyone you know sees everything. This one is important for parents! (And kids for that matter.) I see so many of my friends whose kids are on FB, typing inappropriate comments on different walls assuming the kids won’t see. Maybe you aren’t FB friends with you children, but they can still see a public post. This goes for anyone who thinks they can play a different persona online as in life.
Yeah, I think that’s about it. Be smarter on Facebook everybody.