Our personal lives have begun to merge and blend into our professional lives online thanks to the massive success of social networks like Twitter and Facebook. Our once separate virtual worlds have begun to collide, mixing friends with clients and coworkers with family members. It all reminds me of a hilarious episode on Seinfeld called “Independent George” where Jerry’s friend George became hysterical when his world’s started to collide and his fiancé started being friends with one of his friends from his other world.
I know it might seem silly to some. After all, we are who we are. We shouldn’t really keep anything secret and isolated, do we? Some will argue rather convincingly that it’s best to keep personal lives totally separate from professional lives while others have no problems mixing everything up into one online existence (as I do).
I must admit that everything does change once you break down that wall that kept your worlds apart. I think it has more to do with the level of anonymity that one kept more than anything else. For example, some start with their real name (i.e. ChrisBrogan, GuyKawasaki, etc.) so privacy was never a concern. However, others started out with some trepidation and used an alias (cough…cough). I think those that began with a cloak of privacy have the harder time of letting their worlds collide and thus might require a longer period of adjustment in order to fully accept this major change.
In any event, no matter how you decide to manage your worlds, one thing is certain: We must be as authentic and as honest as we can be, no matter which world we’re in. Everything we share online is documented forever for all the world to see.
What NOT to do if you let your worlds collide online
10 Ways to Get fired on Twitter
30 ways to lose your job on Twitter
Don’t insult Client or their town on twitter!
I've long held the Tojosan ID on the Internet. It's not always been associated with Todd Jordan. These days they are one and the same.The problem I've run into is I don't represent my day job company to the public. I have to avoid chit/chat about them and likely should about our industry as well.As for representing myself, I've no problem being me and indulging folks in my life. However, admit it or not, we all censor things, but not always for evil reasons so much as sensitivity. One of those for me is the company I work for, my granddaughters names, etc.Where possible though, I make everything I say public.
I've long held the Tojosan ID on the Internet. It's not always been associated with Todd Jordan. These days they are one and the same.
The problem I've run into is I don't represent my day job company to the public. I have to avoid chit/chat about them and likely should about our industry as well.
As for representing myself, I've no problem being me and indulging folks in my life. However, admit it or not, we all censor things, but not always for evil reasons so much as sensitivity. One of those for me is the company I work for, my granddaughters names, etc.
Where possible though, I make everything I say public.
the emerging of twitter and facebook has a big impact on people in their social activities..
the emerging of twitter and facebook has a big impact on people in their social activities..
I heard some people at my university talking about this yesterday. Well, when it’ll happen, science just can say that it’s colliding, but it can not do anything. Let’s pray to the Almighty.
I heard some people at my university talking about this yesterday. Well, when it’ll happen, science just can say that it’s colliding, but it can not do anything. Let’s pray to the Almighty.
Really these social networking site are now hurting our personal life.
Really these social networking site are now hurting our personal life.
Hey I'v been reading your blog from quite some time now and I just wanted to say keep up the good work.
Hey I'v been reading your blog from quite some time now and I just wanted to say keep up the good work.