"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 times or more per day. So as not to become wearisome, it's best to keep updates to a minimum. Once per day is ample. Twice a day is acceptable, but more than that is overdoing it. Every few days is fine, and once a week is even enough unless you are updating about a serious situation, such as someone's illness.
*Care about the impression you're making! One young teen writes his most personal information out there - when he's bored, when in trouble with parents, when having an argument with friends, when planning to break the house rules, when there's been too much partying, and when trouble has resulted. The language is less than polite and is off-putting to some users, as well as inappropriate for very young readers. Another teenager uses foul language to berate and belittle his parents. This doesn't make a good impression on anyone.
*Personal opinion: If there is nothing good to write - nothing uplifting to others - no status update should be posted at that time. There is no requirement to post updates each time you sign on. And if you happen to be in a bad mood when you sign on, please... save the status update until you're feeling better!
*Language. Please, people! There is nothing more disrespectful to the other users than sentences crammed with the F word and other vulgarities. Keep in mind that, as mentioned above, there are some very young users online - it's not all adults reading who have the maturity to overlook what they don't care to read. Some users are children who either have accounts, or who are occasionally over the shoulder of a parent or other adult who signs in. In fact, it's a very good idea to eliminate offensive language (profanity, adult terms, etc.) from your online experience. People will think more highly of you as you will make a more favorable impression. Imagine the impression you would make with a prospective employer who may be checking you out via Facebook if you use profanity in your posts. Or how about that representative from the college you're applying to?
*If there is something of interest you want to say, or something you really want to share that is significant or some very good news, then by all means, share it in your status update. (Not recommended: Shouting out that you've just won the lottery, for obvious reasons.) Also, keep in mind that not everyone is in a position to be traveling all over the country, vacationing in some exotic location, or on their way to shopping in high-end stores, so don't come across as though you are boasting. This starts turning people off so that they will no longer want to read your updates and will just skip over everything you post. In today's economy, gloating over material good fortune is not always the best idea.
*It is also not very wise or safe to announce when you will be going out, exactly where you're going, or how long you will be away. That's a very good way to experience a break-in, burglary, vandalizing, or other crime. Remember, certain people may be watching if they know you have valuables in your home, or if they want to gain access to you or your home for some other reason. Be cautious about your status updates. If your children will be staying home, perhaps with a young babysitter, remember that it is not safe to let everyone know your plans. There are lurkers on every social networking site who use these posts as opportunities to commit crimes.
*A Facebook status update is not an appropriate forum for having disagreements or making inflammatory remarks. Neither are the "Comment" areas, although minor disagreements aren't always as obvious there and are more easily tolerated. Disagreements do crop up from time to time. Different points of view and perspectives are fine as comments or replies to other people's thoughts and ideas. Do keep them respectful, though.
*Spamming is not permitted on Facebook, but more and more people are taking advantage of the status window to copy and paste spam, much to the annoyance of other users. Spam is also being inserted in comment areas. This can be reported as it is obnoxious and abusive to the site and its users.
*Status updates should be carefully worded if they deal with political or religious issues. They should at least be posted respectfully. A very opinionated update won't be well accepted, and may well create hard feelings or emotional upsets for other users. Users who occasionally vent in their updates should tone it down. An update by someone in a bad mood can easily spread between users and make visits to the site somewhat less enjoyable.
*Another less-than-appropriate way of updating is to do it every few minutes from a mobile device on the way to or from an event or even during the event. To update readers each time you turn onto another street is absolutely unnecessary. Describing each play at a game is also undesirable. A running commentary on anything gets old in short order, and soon becomes objectionable to people seeing your comments every few minutes. You may think this is the most interesting news there could possibly be, but not everyone will be thinking about things the way you are. Most will simply not care what you've written. Some will be irritated.
*As with every other place on the Internet, never post your Facebook status update in all caps. This is the equivalent to shouting and is considered very rude. Most people on Facebook have been around the Internet long enough to know that all-caps typing is poor etiquette.
*Above all, attacks on other users are a very bad idea. Never use this forum to defame or demoralize another user, or anyone for that matter. It's not fun, not fair, and tends to demoralize the social networking atmosphere. Facebook status updates were not meant for such activity. Feuds with other people should be taken off the Facebook site and any of the other networking sites and regarded as inappropriate Internet behavior.
The best way of maintaining proper Facebook etiquette when it comes to posting status updates is to do it thoughtfully, keeping the tone light and interesting, adding a bit of humor, (but only if you have a knack for comedy,) and keeping your status updates brief and in good taste.