Facebook is no longer a drink with friends

Here is a very interesting post, and a quick overview, on how things can get complicated for the Professional Individual Contributor.

The point here isn’t the generic rehashing the line about how “watch what you say, because everything is public“.  Everyone gets that, well most professionals understand it, sometimes i’m not sure about John Q Public.   I think the greater point is we just lost the modern equivalent of a night out with our friends.

You see life happens,  we get sick, we do stupid things, we have problems with spouses and kids.  We get angry and say things, we have our own prejudices some valid, some not.  We need to vent, we need to share, we need to connect.  For a little slice of time facebook and other social networks gave us that opportunity to do that more effectivly than going out. They offered us a way to connect to those from our past and present and future.  It’s called a social network for a reason.

These networks drove productivity into meeting this need for the human side of our existence.. but now it’s a liability, at least professionally.  Now here is one more example where our professional lives  are engaged into the rest of our lives, we are ‘professionals’ 24/7.

Facebook’s not at fault any more than the hunting rifle is in the hands of a murder.. but like the gun the tool invented to provide for a basic need, it’s been turned to a purpose that can make life more difficult.

This stresses me so much I need a drink, anyone wanna go get one with me?

via Facebook Recruiting: Tips to Ethically Screen Candidates.