by Erik Dodge

Created on: February 09, 2010   Last Updated: February 18, 2010

Proper etiquette has developed over thousands of years. Although it is often just a formality, occasionally clinging to etiquette can rescue you from a sticky situation. The digital age has opened up a whole new world of digital booby traps and our etiquette must evolve to keep up. Netiquette is the solution and it can save you from your mom becoming an overzealous Facebook friend and even when your boss sees those crazy spring break photos that found their way to your profile page.

My mom sent me a Facebook friend request. What should I do?

Like a friend request in the real world a cyber one can be denied, accepted or left somewhere in between. Denying your mom’s friend request should be no problem, I mean what has she ever done for you? Ok, so that one won’t fly, but unless you want mom seeing your pictures from the bar Friday night or the not so subtle comments from that cutey you met at the gym then full out Facebook friendship is off the table, too. Your privacy setting is the secret to a seamless Facebook friendship with your mother. By choosing the custom settings in the privacy menu, you can prevent individuals from viewing parts of your profile. After all, there are some things moms just don’t need to see.

I accepted my mother’s friend request on Facebook, but now she writes embarrassing messages on my wall. Is it OK to de-friend her?

Everyone who’s ever hurt their mom’s feelings knows that it’s much worse than suffering through a few embarrassing messages no matter how bad they are. Just remind your mom that everyone can see wall messages and a private message or phone call would be more appropriate.

My friend posted pictures online from our spring break trip to Cabo that are not suitable for public consumption. What should I do?

First thing’s first, damage control. Go to those pictures on Facebook and untag yourself. You can do this by clicking the link next to your name that says untag. This will prevent the picture from appearing on your page and from appearing in your friends news feed. Next remind your friend of the pictures he posed for in Cabo and maybe he’ll take the photos of you down.  

 My boss found compromising photos and information about me online that she says reflect poorly on the organization. I am worried about losing my job. What can I do?

Unless your boss was on the Cabo trip too than blackmail won’t work. If the photos or information are on a social networking site ask whoever put them on the web to take them down. Contacting the webmaster is your next best option if this doesn’t work. Telling Facebook that the pictures are inappropriate or the website manager the same will likely solve your problem. If not, there’s always the legal route.

My friends told me about some websites that reward people with coupons from businesses if I check in at stores. It sounds fun, but is it safe to be disclosing my location?

A million people can tell you stories of being bated out of their home with some gift only to find they’d been robbed when they returned. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll be next. Unless you’re making appointments or telling strangers your exact location at a precise time you’re likely fine. If you have second thoughts you can always find coupons in the newspaper.

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