Courtesy of facebook.comWhen Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook, his ingenious invention instantly connected thousands of college students. Yet for all the possibilities it created, the new Web site also opened a Pandora’s box of online irritation.
Since its inception, Facebook has provided millions of students with wonderful resources to stay in touch with old friends and get a preview of new ones. While there were always a few rogue Facebookers abusing the Web site, the problem has now reached epidemic proportions. Whether the transgressions take the form of inappropriate postings or spontaneous, uncontrollable friending, the truth remains: our beloved Facebook is plagued by uncivilized, unsophisticated and uncultured undergraduates.
In an effort to alleviate this pressing issue, I have compiled propriety guidelines which will hopefully lead our student body into the forefront of Facebook etiquette.
One of the most problematic areas concerns the wall. Sure, everyone loves to see a new message from a friend, but there must be limits. Nobody likes to open their profile and find themselves staring at a seductively posed naked woman composed of asterisks, dashes and money signs.
Furthermore, for most people, chain letters rightfully ended with the onset of puberty, and posting a picture of “the beautiful truck” on someone’s wall is only reminiscent of these sixth grade annoyances. Certainly there is a better way to tell far-off friends you are thinking of them.
Although slightly more acceptable, your wall should not be a shrine to anyone in particular. It’s nice you are so close with the girl down the hall, but her face does not have to be displayed nine times in a row with a loving message to the right of each picture.
This applies to your better half as well; we all know you are in love, but there is no need to post it with every log-on. If you are feeling particularly emotional one day, send a message or, gasp, use the phone.
While the wall is a beacon for glaring Facebook transgressions, postings on your wall are not always controllable. Conversely, the profile is entirely your domain, but some are taking this luxury too far. Nobody wants to read a novel about your life, so spare the life story under “about me.”
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, so to show others who you are, which is the purpose of Facebook, put up an actual picture of yourself and not a picture of you and your 12 other best friends, obscure animals, such as lemurs and bush babies or, by far the worst, the infamous question mark.
Lastly, many otherwise well-behaved Facebookers go awry when it comes to friending. It’s nice to have a lot of friends in the real world, but if this is not the case, please, do not try to overcompensate on Facebook. Running back to your computer to friend someone five minutes after you have first met is not appealing, and is, in fact, creepy. Also, friending someone you don’t know based on their listed interests or because they have the same last name is even less appealing, and is, in fact, really creepy.
Perhaps most importantly, let us not forget that the Facebook does not translate to the real world. When meeting someone new, refrain from confessing that you have definitely seen your newfound friend on Facebook. It’s not endearing.
I understand the temptations are there. You may want to friend that cute guy or sign your best friend’s wall twice a day, but I urge you, for the common good, to just say no this time.