No one seems to be safe from online embarrassment. Just recently a speechwriter on President Aquino's staff made a blunder by reportedly tweeting that the wine "sucked" in Vietnam. That would have largely been ignored had she been on a private trip, but Mai Mislang was in Vietnam as part of the President's entourage on an official visit. Mislang made a couple more tweets that, in effect, spoke less than flatteringly about the country.
Mai Mislang was defended by her coworkers, saying that she was a valuable member of the staff who works hard and is very trustworthy. Given all of the praise given to her, Mai Mislang's reputation has been tarnished by a few careless comments on a very public page.
Venting on Twitter or Facebook is something that we've all done at some point, but how far should you go? The internet is supposed to be a limitless avenue for self-expression, but at what point does being candid become a liability? FN gives you 5 things you shouldn't disclose on social network sites.
1. NEVER PUBLISH ANYTHING THAT SPEAKS BADLY OF YOUR COWORKERS OR WORKPLACE
The office is a stewpot of repressed feelings; you'll have to constantly hold back during tense situations. Something's got to give at some point, but the worst place you can let your feelings out is online. Being professional is a 24/7 practice, and ranting online about how unfair your boss is or how inept your coworkers are speaks more about you and your attitude than it ever will of them. Think about that.
2. NEVER PUBLISH ANYTHING SLANDEROUS
Social networking sites are quick and effective mediums for spreading information. If you use it properly, you get great results. If you spread bad rumors, you can never take them back. Any malicious statements can (and most probably will) come back to haunt you. And while you can publish a retraction or an apology, you may have done irreparable damage to your own reputation.
3. VERIFY WITH LINKS FROM RELIABLE SOURCES
We aren't just talking about the latest celebrity death or scandal. This covers news items and political "opinions" that may seriously affect the lives of a lot of people. Don't treat social networking sites like tabloids; choose your words carefully when you're unsure of what you want to say, or better yet, when in doubt, don't.
4. REMEMBER THAT NOTHING IS REALLY PRIVATE
You may think you're covered because you set your profile to private and locked. Think again. If a friend tags you in a photo in a public album, you face is already out there. If you were doing something unladylike in that particular photo? Well, you can just imagine.
5. TWEET CAREFULLY! EMPLOYERS LOOK AT YOUR ONLINE NETWORK PROFILES
More and more people are being let go from their jobs because of Facebook status messages or Tweets. In the United States, a waitress lost her job because of a disparaging comment she made about a customer. Bosses take their relationships with clients and customers very seriously, and if you say anything less than flattering about them--no matter how justified--it may be grounds for termination.
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(Photo courtesy of abs-cbnnews.com)
