Precautions to take on a Social Networking Site

This is one post I have been dying to write for long. The first question we should ask ourself "Are we really that naive online?" Don't worry, if you don't understand get an answer. I, myself, have committed worst possible mistakes and lived to tell the tale. So chill, it happens ;). Unfortunately, not many us have not been so lucky. God Bless your Soul, Adnan.

Ohk, you can see me narrowing on 1 site particularly, but I cant help it. Its has become so big that its a Mtvs Youth Icon, doh!! if you knew how the competition worked, you should have know that nobody could have won besides Orkut. The rule was simple you vote and get people to vote, through registration or smses. If you know about online marketing then I can see your smile turning into a big Grin and the famous 4 letter word on the tip your tongue. Say it! God Damn it! its the best stress buster, I too missed the Ford Icon ;).

Coming to the title of the post ( I have a bad habit of drifting away from the topic), "Why do we need to take precaution?"
Nice question! (if the question did come up in your mind, read my post atleast 3 times).
The answer is simple, SNS's (social networking sites, YEA, I just invented it) means interaction of 2 humans and as you know human behavioral pattern can be mapped but you will always find a disclaimer of it being unpredictable. You can never be sure, what the other person might do. So here's what you take care of on any SNS.

1. Try avoiding using your real name, cause the first thing I do with names is Goggling. And most of time it reveals more than you want to tell me ;). Simple trick, isn't it?

2. If you got something to hide, please hide it. Don't be stupid to think that nobody can find it out.

3. On SNS like orkut where people can go through your messages, delete them when their purpose is served. Why should my work colleagues be interested that my mom is irritated cause my house maid didn't come. I usually (yea, not always, I had earlier confessed to committing mistakes too) don't let in my current work colleagues in my friendlist, we spend more than 40 hrs together (yea, I am a hardworking employee, time to ask for a raise). I would be spending more time with you than my girlfriend(if I had one), so why do you want meet me again on SNS. Do you wanna date me? (please say yes :P)

4. If you skip office for no reason (like I do), avoid SNS. Cause the first question people ask is what happened and you if say, I had an headache, they will obviously ask you then what are doing sitting on a computer.

5. Everyone will know you looking for a new job and things might get uncomfortable at work place.

6. Prospective employers will go through your message and find that how you think about your boss. So, don't say that your boss is a pain the ass :D.

7. Never reveal too much, now too much is a relative term, but obvious things include credit card no., password, where you live, your phone nos. Now sharing your personal details depends you, I don't mind telling you if I prefer male thongs or boxers or their brands. So suit yourself.

8. Avoid putting large pictures of yourself which can be copied using print screen. Cause I have seen a person posting morphed picture of girls he got from orkut. Ohk, I do visit not so good sites, but if you're in my dirty business, you will know that we don't go to these sites for sexual gratification. So those all are not rumours which you get in forwarded emails, but yea, orkut closing down is the lamest one;).

9. If you ever decide to meet an online person, make sure you are around so many people that if you fart atleast 100 people should look at you with disgust. Try it out few times, later on you don't need to do this trick.

Ohk, thats enough, I don't want to lose my job, let me keep few secrets to myself. Remember, its only because of these stupid people, people like me are considered smart ;). But, I ain't doing charity by educating you, I only do so, cause you get smarter by playing a smarter opponents. On a serious note, take precautions but don't turn into a paranoid (cause that can be me only) cause you sometimes miss something that turn into something really sweet.

In my next post, I would be stripping Orkut, so be there to have the voyeuristic pleasure.

My 2 clicks.

About Me

Myself a SEO,Web-Usability expert, Programmer, working as a Web Analyst for more than 19 months (at the time of post). I absolutely love good food, working out, movies, musics, UFC and smiles of beautiful girls :P.

My first stint involved working in close interaction with a fortune 50 company. Learned many things, first thing first, in big organizations you don't get to learn much, so when I decided to make a jump, I was valuable for them, but my market value was nothing more than a pizza delivery boy.

At my current place, I get to do a lot which means I am learning a lot. Got wonderful bunch of team-mates & boss, its all cool.

Enough of my personal crap ;), coming to purpose of this place. I see a potential in Indian Internet Market. There's so much to do, lots to earn ;), lots to learn. I don't proclaim myself to be the best voice of Indian Internet Market, just want to share piece of my mind. Take it or leave it. My first observation is that people believe what worked in west would work here too, WRONG! ABSOLUTELY WRONG! (sorry for the caps, but had to..). The Indian Online Community is weird, yea, you read it right, "weird". Why do I say so? As of now we are into a transition phase, many of us are not the same person online as offline which negates all the offline theories. So out here we gonna see theories which failed, which clicked and most importantly which can go big.

Ohk, did your eyes started paining, mine did :P.

Stick around for more!!

Just my 2 clicks.