For you Facebook junkies out there, here are 10 things not to do

You’ve heard me sing the praises of Facebook. What a great tool it’s been to reconnect with folks from our past. However, something this great does not come without pitfalls.

Below, I’ve listed some suggested “don’ts” of Facebook, most of which I’ve seen first hand. Luckily, in self-censoring, I’ve avoided being the subject of these don’ts. I have used my own name in the following scenarios to protect the innocent.

1. Do not air your dirty laundry on Facebook — this includes arguments you’re having with your significant other. Nobody wants to hear about your wife’s or husband’s indiscretions or how they refuse to put the toilet lid up or down. Additionally, it’s best to keep private matters just that.

2. Do not let your Facebook friends know your other friends’ social plans. This is their business, and they may not the whole world to know. In fact, it could cause hurt feelings and undue trouble.

3. Do not spoil someone else’s good news — “Hope just found out that her cousin Hildegarde is expecting a baby!” Hildegarde’s mother is one of your Facebook friends and had no idea. Hildegarde had planned on visiting her parents this weekend to tell them the happy news. Great job on stealing Hildegarde’s thunder.

4. Do not get into a sniveling match with someone by saying, “Hope is fed up with some people’s lack of appreciation for helping them move this weekend.” It’s childish and petty, and you’ll lose friends over it.

5. Do not say anything on Facebook that you don’t want the world to know, and this includes work-related items. “Hope is ticked at her boss because he made her stay late. It may be time for a career change.”

6. Do not say anything that could be construed as sexist, racist, vulgar, or otherwise offensive. What you may think is funny may not be taken the same way by everyone else. Imagine that whatever you post could appear on the front page of a newspaper for your friends, family and other loved ones to read.

7. Do not post pictures of you or anyone else in compromising positions. Those pictures can come back to bite you one day. Facebook is a public forum, and if you finally get the teaching job you’ve always dreamed of, those pictures can prevent that dream from coming true.

8. Do not post pictures of anyone without their permission. Your friend’s ex-girlfriend may not be ready to see your buddy with his new girlfriend, or she may not even know yet!

9. Do not spread news of a friend who had to go to the emergency room for an ailment or injury, unless you have permission! This will send other friends and family into a frenzy and cause undue stress.

10. Do not put “news of the day” on your Facebook unless you’ve checked your facts first. Even when I read that Michael Jackson had passed, I immediately went to MSNBC’s Web site to verify.
What a great resource Facebook has been; however, there have been moments when my mouth has been left agape at things I’ve read. Some things are better left unsaid, or for Jerry Springer to discuss.

Smith’s column runs every Friday on the editorial page.