Facebook for Professionals

Facebook is either not playing smart, or not playing nice.  Possibly both.

I teach folks:

• that if used strategically, social networks are valuable tools to enhance offline networking;
• that genuine sharing of yourself online can expand and enhance your network;
• that a strong network is, of itself, valuable;
• that users of social networks should be aware of privacy issues and adjust privacy settings to meet their needs.

I teach folks how to adjust their Facebook privacy settings.  But now Facebook has sincerely complicated the issue.

Facebook Terms of Service Faux Pas

Facebook revised their Terms of Service on February 4, 2009.  The new Terms of Service give Facebook the right to users' content even if the content has been deleted from the site. Multiple replies came out of Facebook attempting to assuage concerns that Facebook would sell or use content without the user's permission.  The Terms of Service clearly state Facebook has the right to do whatever they want with users' content. It appears to me that we are left trusting Facebook to do the right thing even when the Terms of Service gives them the right to do the wrong thing.

My quandary is in deciding A) Whether I trust Facebook and B) Deciding how to advise professionals regarding use of Facebook.

Why Use Facebook At All?

I simply do not have enough time to go to coffee/have lunch/have phone chats with everyone I want to keep up with or get to know.  For me, Facebook is a means to further developing relationships and keep up with friends/colleagues across the world.  And, the honest truth is, I like using Facebook.  Plus, I have no difficulty not Friending someone.  My Friends on Facebook are folks I would happily have coffee with, some of whom I count as real life friends and some of whom I define as colleagues.  

I readily agree that using Facebook professionally is not for everyone.  But, for those of us in need of a strong network, Facebook is a valuable tool.  I have yet to find an alternate social network used by so many of the folks with whom I want to keep in touch or get to know.

Whether you are using online tools or offline tools, to successful build a strong network one must genuinely be interested in others and genuinely share of themselves.  I very much believe life is about stories so sharing my stories and hearing others' stories is great fun for me.  Share of myself?  Oh, no, that means mixing some of my personal life into my professional life.  Why is that important?  Because we, as consumers and business partners prefer to do business with people we trust.  Who do we trust?  Folks with whom we feel a connection.

If You Do Choose to Use Facebook Professionally

Using Facebook professionally, or using it at all, is a personal choice.  For those who choose to utilize Facebook, I recommend understanding the privacy issues associated with using Facebook.

• Decide if you are ok with Facebook's not-so-well thought out Terms of Service. Check out the most balanced write up I have seen on this issue.
• Think of your Facebook persona as your professional persona.  The items I post to Facebook are the same things I would say if I were talking to a new colleague in a coffee shop. Do I care who knows that I adopted a dog from the shelter? Do I think its a big deal that folks know I have kids and they do funny stuff?  No.  And no.  Would I tell a new colleague about a personal challenge one of my kids is going through?  Absolutely not.  I have thought through what I will share and what I do not share.  I drew the lines.  What is important is that I was the one to drawing the lines.
• Adjust your privacy settings.  In the top right near the search box is "Settings".  If you hover over Settings, you see Account Settings, Privacy Settings and Application Settings.  Privacy Settings control what others see.  Spend time going through each section with Privacy Settings.  For most folks using Facebook professionally, the most important setting to adjust is the Photos Tagged of You under Profile.  If you think there is a chance someone will tag a photo of you that you would not want to have posted to all your Friends' News Feeds, click Customize, and then Only Me.
• If you choose to switch from only using Facebook in your personal world to also using it in your professional world (ie, your boss or a client asks to Friend you and you feel compelled to say yes), be sure to inform Friends that you have made the switch to including Colleagues.  Even if you choose to not have folks see photos tagged of you, it does not mean those photos are not still posted.  You can not remove photos posted by a Friend.  You can remove the tag of you but that is often insufficient.  Best way to avoid a not so flattering photo from being posted to Facebook is to ask your Friends to consider who might see such photos before they post the happy media.
• The flip side of the Privacy Settings is Options for News Feed which allows you to set what kinds of items you see in your News Feed and from whom.  You want to stay Friends with somoeone but you'd rather not see their posts (for whatever your reason)?  Adjust your News Feed.
• Understand what you are handing over when you sign up for third party application within Facebook.  Applications that scrape your profile for info tell you they are going to do so when you install the app.  This info includes your email address.  Think they have any qualms with selling your info?

At the moment, I am leaning towards continuing my use of Facebook, with the recognition that content I post could be used by Facebook, and thus making careful choices regarding what I post.  Some folks may decide dealing with the content control and privacy issues is too daunting.  Others may decide its worth it.  What decision have you made?  Or are you still making it?