by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: November 08, 2009   Last Updated: April 27, 2010

"What's on your mind?"

This invitation at the top of your home page on Facebook to type what you'd like to say can be used well to greet other users cheerfully, make announcements regarding upcoming events, make observations, memorialize someone who has passed, ask for thoughts and prayers, give updates on the ill or injured, support a good cause, or generally say, "Hope everyone is having a good day!" Some users like to post a quote as food for thought, or pass along some other nugget of wisdom for benefit of everyone. These are all good uses.

What many Facebook users don't understand is that there is such a thing as Facebook etiquette. There are some guidelines that should be followed to avoid unpleasant or annoying experiences on the site. Here are just a few.

*Many people are compelled to post an update each time they log in, which may be several times a day, but Facebook users don't always realize that posting with each login gets old for other users. Posting an update each time you log on isn't really necessary unless there is some emergency of which you want to keep people apprised.

*It is fascinating to see how many people agonize over what to post on Facebook in the status update window. If you truly have nothing on your mind that might be of interest to others, don't post anything just then. Posting just for the sake of posting something really isn't necessary. Save your keystrokes until a later time.

*Some feel compelled to update everyone on their romantic encounters with spouses or partners. Please, Facebook users, don't do this! There are very young children reading sometimes, but besides that, even the most mature adults don't want to read every detail of your plans for an intimate evening with your partner or spouse, or how it went last night.

*We also don't need to read your mushy love notes to each other! Sometimes this is done intentionally to anger a former girlfriend or boyfriend who may be reading your posts, but many times it is just an annoying habit and is considered immature. If you're living under the same roof, (and we hope you are if you're married,) save the mushy stuff for your face-to-face interactions.

*Some users actually post that they don't know what to post, and go on for several sentences just pondering what to post. This is not just senseless... it's quite annoying.

*Many people really don't care what they post as long as they put something out there, as if everyone will perish for lack of a status update from them a dozen

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