Do the Rules of Blogging Apply to All Social Media?

Long before I had a blog of my own, I did my senior thesis on the ethics of blogging about work.  Long story short, the general rule is that if you aren’t comfortable saying it in front of your boss, you probably shouldn’t be posting it on the internet.

I have several friends on Twitter — people that I’ve actually met — who I know to be intelligent, level-headed and responsible.  However, they consistently take to Twitter and Facebook to paint their jobs in a less-than-stellar light; things like, “I can’t focus on work at all today,” or “Work is really boring right now.” These individuals make it clear on both their Twitter and Facebook profiles who their employers are.  How is this any different than blogging disparagingly about their employer or client?

I would argue that it’s not.  Although these individuals aren’t bashing their employer outright, I doubt that what they’re saying — that their company is a boring place to work and they’re generally unmotivated and disinterested — is in line with the image that any employer wants to project.  I’d suggest that the rules of blogging about work — namely, if it’s unflattering, don’t do it — also apply to all social media, including Twitter and Facebook.  Here are several things to consider before posting negative - or even apathetic - content about your employer or clients on social media platforms:

• Even if your boss or client isn’t on Twitter or Facebook, that doesn’t mean that they won’t find out about it through a friend or co-worker.  As people often seem to forget, content lives forever online, so it’s always accessible through a search.
• Comments like, “Super bored at work today” don’t reflect well on you as an employee; who wants to hire someone that is unfocused and uninterested?
• Negative comments from several employees - or even just one - can have an impact on the company.  I would never use a product or service connected with a friend who spoke unfavorably about his or her company on social media platforms, because what that one employee says and does is reflective of the company as a whole.

Tags: Blogging, Facebook, Social Media Rules, Twitter

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