Social Networking sites are a way for users to interact on the internet. There are many of such sites that have come up and are a platform for people to form their communities, make online friends and discuss common things that interest them. A few among such are Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, LinkedIn etc. One needs to be careful what information you share on these profiles and what information needs to be kept under the covers. Here are a few of those things that you must take precaution on not sharing with others on a social networking site:
1. Personal Messages: As a net etiquette, one must not share personal information on a social networking site. In many of them, such as Facebook, the information shared is displayed on the wall, which is visible to everyone. If it’s a personal note, it may not be appreciated by a lot of others.
2. Sharing of Contact details: One of the major security threats would be to post your contact details on the net. It would be an open invitation to the intruders. If you are going on a vacation and post those details on the net as well, you are inviting burglars indirectly to pay a visit to your house in your absence.
3. What you feel about your workplace and employers: You must be careful in not to disclose information related to your workplace as well as gossip or talk ill about your seniors on a social networking site. This can stake your job as well as create bad relations with people at work. Some organizations even fire employees and take things discussed on such sites in very serious terms. For this matter, websites such as Facebook are blocked and employees don’t have an access to those in their organizations.
4. Inter-linked sites: People who use one social networking site are bound to use one of the others too. Many of us are a part of Facebook and LinkedIn at the same time. Considering the same scenario, if you share some information on Facebook, it is quite likely that the information may be accessible on LinkedIn too. This applies more so, when two sites are linked to each other on one of your profiles. So what you post on one is accessible on the other too. Considering that you post contradictory information on both these sites, it can affect your job and your employee status.
5. Password: This is the worst bit of information that can be shared on the net. Passwords and password retrieval questions need to be kept as secure as possible. For password retrieval hints, don’t choose a very common question, the answer to which can be guessed by anyone. Once your password is taken by another person, your account can be misused.
Social networking sites are meant to socialize and keep in touch with your friends and create and add more to your existing circle and keeping these few criteria’s in mind, it is all safe.