Facebook etiquette: Avoid the common pitfalls

by Gus Herrero in Español Exprés | 0 comments

If you are one of those geeks who spends countless hours on Facebook, or just a not-so-addicted little fan of this friendship network, you probably know some individuals who seem to publish everything they do… or in the gay case – whom they do.

So, what is right to publish on your wall and what isn’t? Who dictates the rules? Is there such thing as Facebook etiquette? Well I don’t know if there is or not; in fact I don’t even think I’m qualified to talk about this issue, but my mom spent countless hours teaching me the right etiquette and manners to present to the world.

I don’t want to sound like I’m bitching about some comments, but there are just a few things I’ve seen on people’s walls that I didn’t want to know.

For starters: Nobody wants to know how much food you ate for dinner and then a few minutes later read that you feel fat and miserable. We all want to look good and yes, none of us want to gain a few pounds, so please don’t post that you ate like a pig and then cry about it because everyone calls you fat.

Second: No, I don’t want to know how many guys you slept with last night. If there’s one thing that really irritates me, it is to wake up in the morning and find out that “Joe” hooked up with three dudes and woke up shirtless in some random guy’s bed. We are not all hookers. If you hook up, at least have the decency not to post it.

Third: No, the world doesn’t need to know if a fly got into your bathroom while you were doing your business. This is a real post from a friend, “in the bathroom, fly came in, I said hi.” Kids, I know it’s very interesting to you, but I could have lived my life not knowing that.

Fourth: Whether you are a highly public figure or not, please don’t post pictures of the after-party. Yes, I know you are a party animal and yes, I love hanging out with you and partying with you, but I don’t want to see pictures of you mooning people or throwing up on “Joe’s” lap.

And finally, we all like to know that you go to the movies or the fact that you are at the park but please don’t “check in” every two minutes, we all know that you can’t drive or walk fast enough to check in at the Gateway and then two minutes later at the Coffee Garden. No, you don’t have Speed Racer car and no, you are not that popular.

With all these things said, I don’t intend to be a bitch. Hang on, I think I already am. Anyway, the point of this is to let you know that there are certain things that we might want to keep to ourselves. I understand that Facebook is a website to share stuff with your friends, just be a bit more judicious with what you publish. And remember, I’ll be watching you … right along with good friends or a horrible stalker.