Facebook Rules: Do Online As You’d Do In Real Life

There’s a lot of talk on the Web these days about, well, goings on with the Web, specifically when it comes to Google, Facebook (News – Alert) and Twitter. Even more specific than that, the Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) wants the FTC to initiate “trade-regulation” for the social networking sites in order to “clearly define acts or practices which they consider unacceptable.”

While that is mostly dealing with how businesses affect actual users, one could argue that maybe, just maybe, Facebook and social networking cites in general, should be protecting users from themselves?

It’s a far-fetched idea, but consider the fact that there is a false sense of security when it comes to living your life online behind the façade of a social website. What one won’t do in person, they may do online, creating an interesting dichotomy, not to mention a lot of confusion for those that know you both socially in person and in the ether.

It’s refreshing that, with all of the drunken photos, misspelled status updates, abbreviated commentary and text-speak – mostly coming from adults, mind you – that a high school student points out the obvious: if you wouldn’t do it in person, don’t do it online.

In fact, Abby Ramos couldn’t have said it any better.

We’ve become less conservative socially as a society. While many would argue that it’s the bane of our existences, it’s exactly this that has contributed to the spiraling down of education, the lack of tact and respect, the flipside would beg to differ. We are less inhibited in our freedom of speech. The uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Algeria and other parts of the Middle East/North African region have led to many a discussion on technology and its use in nonviolent civil resistance.

Then again, there is the fact that colleges are using Facebook to check on prospective students. College admissions advisors rely on this method more than prospective students realize.

Employers are also using Facebook and other social networking sites to check up on potential and current employees. People have been disciplined at work, have missed out on job positions, or have even been dismissed due to comments they’ve left on Facebook and similar sites.

So, why is it that a high school student can understand the notion better than most of us adults that, there is an impact when it comes to posting certain kinds of pictures, and it’s not always a great one?

The immediacy and ease with which you can post a quip on Facebook may get you into trouble, plus tell work colleagues more than they need or want to know about you and your relationships. The story of a man caught cheating by his wife when she perused his iPhone (News – Alert) makes you think: In this day of gadgetry and near-constant contact via social networking, how can you avoid blunders that will deem you a thoughtless spouse, friend or colleague?

Ramos’ article is a reminder of an age-old adage: less is more.

“With so many opportunities and such easy access, it’s no surprise many are fed up with what people post online,” says Ramos.

Perhaps we all need to take heed of a wise student’s words of wisdom and, like the good adults that we are, shape up and do online as we would do in real life.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News – Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It’s also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.

Michelle Amodio is a TMCnet contributor. She has helped promote companies and groups in all industries, from technology to banking to professional roller derby. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Writing from Endicott College and currently works in marketing, journalism, and public relations as a freelancer.

Edited by Rich Steeves

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Jesus’ ‘divine’ Facebook popularity

The most engaged fans on Facebook aren’t obsessing over Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. They’re seeking inspiration at the “Jesus Daily” page

An illustration from the “Jesus Daily” Facebook page, which has the most engaged fans on the social networking site. Photo: Facebook/Jesus Daily
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Who’s the most popular celeb on Facebook? By one measure, it’s not megastar Justin Bieber — or any other entertainment star, for that matter. It’s Jesus. According to analytics from AllFacebook.com (first reported by The New York Times), the “Jesus Daily” Facebook page has accrued more likes, comments, and shared content than any other page on the social network. Here, a brief guide to Jesus’ “divine” popularity online:

First off, what is this Jesus Daily?
It’s a popular page on Facebook that Aaron Tabor, a diet doctor in North Carolina, started in 2009. Four or five times each day, Tabor posts something inspired by Jesus’ teachings. For instance, a recent post read, “We just want to thank You Jesus. We are not ashamed to declare You!” It received 71,744 likes and 3,366 comments. “There are people out of work, at the end of the line and I just want the Jesus Daily to be a central place where they find encouragement, no matter what battle they are fighting,” says Tabor.

And how popular is it?
Very. Not only does the page have millions of fans, but it also has the most engaged users around. Jesus Daily has more than 8.4 million fans, and last week it had a whopping 3.4 million interactions (a measure of Facebook users’ combined likes, shares, comments, and more). By comparison, Justin Bieber has far more fans — more than 35 million — but they are far less engaged, with just 630,000 interactions last week.

Are other religious sites also popular on Facebook?
Yes, according to AllFacebook.com. While Jesus Daily leads the way, pages for “The Bible,” “Dios Es Bueno,” “Jesus Christ,” and “Joyce Meyer Ministries” all rank in the top 20 for Facebook’s most engaging pages. (Also on that list are pages for Lil Wayne, Bieber, Gaga, and Manchester United.) According to Facebook officials, the number of people talking about religion on the site has “significantly increased in the last year.” Thirty-one percent of Facebook users in the U.S. note their religion on their profiles, and more than 43 million users are fans of at least one religious page. The Rev. Kenneth Lillard believes this is akin to what the printing press did for Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. “I am looking at social media doing the same thing for today’s church,” he says.

Sources: AllFacebook.com, Entertainment Network, Facebook (2), New York Times

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