Facebook and other social networking etiquette predicaments
Facebook makes it easier to keep in touch with old friends, track your acquaintances’ every minuscule movement, and learn that all of your “cool” pals more than life itself. There is a downside to the site’s sudden rise to ubiquity.
If you’ve been on Facebook for more than a week, you’ve probably gotten a friend request from someone you don’t know, someone you hate, or someone you don’t want snooping around your profile. Before promiscuous
friending turns into a full-blown crisis, it’s about time we came up with some basic guidelines for social networking etiquette.
It takes one minute to write a little message that attaches with a friend request. If you want to be my Facebook friend (or ANYONE’s Facebook friend–this is etiquette that should be universal) spend 60 seconds saying why. However, there’s a right and a wrong way to approach this.
Appropriate messages:
1- Hi Jacky, I looked your profile on LinkedIn and wanted to connect on Facebook, (Unlike FB, to connect on LI you need to have their email address).
2- Hey Jacky, we met at the TED conference in Monterrey. It was great meeting you in person–Facebook friendship is the next logical step, right?
3- Hi, I’m Friendtie McFriending. Small world–I work with Friender FriendInc and she told me you’ve been buds since you were kids. She said you’re a good person to know.
4- Hi Jacky, I subscribe to FeMailBlog and think your blog is rad. Wanna be friends?
Inappropriate messages:
1- hi your hot LOL
2- i tried poking you but you didn’t poke me back. Can we be friends now????!?!?!!
3- i’m visiting SLO next month and you looked like someone who knows how to have fun, if you know what I mean…
4- Hi, you said on your blog I had to do this or you wouldn’t accept my friend request. So, yeah.
You may think I’m being facetious but people really send idiotic, goofy messages like that.
Or worse, nothing at all.
And I’ll be candid: I’m guilty of not saying anything with friend requests to people I don’t personally know sometimes, too. Usually it’s with someone who’s a “friending with ‘real’ friend” or something totally absurd to say like that, but I’m going to make sure I take my own advice from now on in all friending situations.
It depends who I am contacting, here is a sample:
__________________________________________________
Hi Doris (name is a must)
I searched for local women professionals and business entrepreneurs on the central coast, I saw your profile on WEB and wanted to suggest checking CCWN’s Page (CCWN, Directory of Women in Business started in SLO, and is expanding soon in Santa Barbara County).
If this sparks your interest would be great to connect with you on FB.
Below is CCWN’s site address. Thanks for considering.
Jacky Lopez, founder
Central coast women’s Network
http://ccwnetwork.com
___________________________________________________
I’d love to hear your comments, share your experience friending.
Have a fantastic weekend!
