Let’s be realistic. Everyone is on one of those queer social networking sites. I’m on Myspace. I’m not proud of it. I don’t like it but that’s a whole mess of people I have slightly more access to because of it.
The Wall Street Journal is funny. They’ve been on Facebook’s ass for the last few weeks. There was an article telling the story of a few office workers whose bosses requested to be their friend on Facebook or Myspace. Of course these office workers either accepted after cleaning up their accounts (took down those embarrassing photos) or denied acceptance, which may have disrupted the worker-boss relationship, though it shouldn’t be that way.
My question is, are Social Networking Sites definitely the wave of the future just as Reality TV took over Television? Or is it just another bullshit fad like Neon colors during the nineties? or like those Snap bracelets? (Remember those things? Those little metal strips that wraps around when you slap it across your wrist, yeah, awesome, I know)
My recommendation is to join these things and make them as professional as possible if what’s important for you or your career is to maintain a professional image. Unless you’re in high school or middle school, do not fuck around on these things. In fact, I wouldn’t even recommend kids fucking with these things cause the internet is crazy. Comments that you make on someone’s blog may be easily found by an employer 10 years down the road, when they’re Googling your name to see if you’re the right fit for their company. Pictures of your drinking days and inappropriate comments made by friends all reflect poorly on you.
Think about it. A major organization is not about to hire someone who’s out of their mind. You may look professional during an interview or you may have a great resume but when that employer sees you drunk off your ass on a MySpace site, they’re going to think twice before hiring you. On the other hand, by having a very professional looking (sometimes boring looking) MySpace or Facebook, you can actually benefit because you’re conveying how serious you are about your life. They’ll be thinking, holy shit, this guy is so professional, look, he’s wearing a suit and tie in his profile picture!!! (It may not necessarily go down that way, but I mean, you get the idea, just don’t be a douchebag on your Social Networking Site).
The alternative to classing up your MySpace is of course to use a pseudonym. Though that may backfire if people you don’t want knowing about your account finds out from others who you DO want knowing. This website for example, I’m really taking a risk here. I don’t want people I work with reading the bullshit I write about but if one of those idiots finds out that this is what I REALLY do at work, the others will find out too and I’m screwed.
Stuff on the internet is on the internet FOREVER. Remember that. Not to mention a lot of companies now monitor computer use. Anyway, one last thing, if you’re a hot broad, none of this applies. A company will hire you on the spot if you’re hot. If you’re not, good luck.
Here’s an interesting entry from WebWorkers. I haven’t read it yet.
I know personally I have read reports of employers actually firing employees b/c of their facebook/myspace “images”.
I don’t think this is a “trend” but more of adapting. The culture as a whole is becoming more and more technology dependent and instead of hitting up ya boy’s house to play some x-box just get online w/ him and cats from japan.
why call when you can text?
why talk when you can IM?
…just my observation
I’ve always been too paranoid to have an online social networking profile. The idea that people might actually be looking for me on the internet gives me the creeps.
re: HipHopRemix: Your comment about it’s just “adapting” is just another perspective on the same thing - TO-MAY-TOE, TO-MAH-TOE