Social Network Basics
Choosing a Site
- All social network sites are not equal. Each one has its own rules so try to notice the norms and use patterns of a community before jumping in.
- Learn a little about the nature and reach of the social network before you set up an account and go live.
- Ask a more experienced user about things you should know.
- Keep it clean and civil.
Managing Your Space
- Learn how to use privacy settings to limit the content others can see and share on your site.
- You don’t have to accept everyone who requests to be your friend, especially strangers. They can be as dangerous in the virtual world as they are in the real world.
- If you want to friend someone you don’t know, explain why you’re contacting them so you have a better chance of having him or her accept your request.
- Don’t post comments, photos, videos, or links that would be embarrassing to yourself or others.
- Reply to emails only from people you know.
Unfriending, Unfollowing, and Ignoring
On some sites, you may end up friending a person who you later want to unfriend. It is definitely okay to actively unfriend someone you no longer feel comfortable being connected with. Most sites don’t send a person a message if you unfriend them but check the FAQs first to be sure that your technology matches your intent.
It’s Your Page
It’s okay to:
- Ignore a friend request.
- Untag yourself from a photo or ask someone to remove a photo of you from their page.
- Delete a friend’s comment on your page.
- Unfriend someone whose presence on your page makes you uncomfortable.
- Ignore quizzes, groups, and widely marketed event requests.
- Use privacy settings to restrict access to your page.