Grandma’s Lessons for Facebook Etiquette | Travel Research Online

Image
Image

Grandma’s Lessons for Facebook Etiquette

I absolutely love brussel sprouts!  I’m also a sci-fi nerd and mourn the day Battlestar Galactica ended.  I have elevated the perfect espresso shot to nirvana status and I cannot stand any type of seafood.  Like any other human being, I am a complicated mix of thoughts, ideas, opinions and more.  Some people think I’m a freak, and others love me for my weirdness.

 My quirky life was rarely discussed outside my circle of friends and family until something amazing happened:  Facebook!  Now, I can reach out to others just as mixed up and wacky as I am!  I can connect with brussel sprout supporters and latte lovers the world over.  The trouble is, everyone is watching, including clients.

 How can I express my views without alienating friends, or offending clients that may not share my passions?  By listening to what my grandmother told me when I was a kid:  “If you can’t say it nicely, don’t say it at all.”  I would add one more tip:  find another place to say it.

 So, I could post “FIGHT BRUSSEL SPROUT HATERS NOW!”  Or,  I could post “IF YOU SUPPORT DECAF, I DON’T SUPPORT YOU!” 

 Listening to my grandmother, I could instead post “BRUSSEL SPROUTS MAKE ME SMILE!” or “CAFFEINE IS MY FUEL OF CHOICE.” …or better yet – I could just not say any of it at all.

 Facebook is powerful and amazing.  From my political ideology to my thoughts on spirituality, I have plenty of passionate things I could post about.  But as my grandmother also said “there is a time and a place for everything.”  The Facebook “wall” is probably not the place.  

 If I really feel the need to debate, I turn to the Facebook discussion groups.  There, I can toss around my opinion and read that of others.  

 For travel agents I suggest treating your wall postings like the windows of your agency.  Think carefully about what you put on display.  You wouldn’t hang your personal laundry there to dry.  

 Lastly, my grandmother had another gem you’ve heard a thousand times:  “You can attract a lot more flies with sugar than vinegar.”  Cruises and tours are much sweeter treats indeed.

  2 thoughts on “Grandma’s Lessons for Facebook Etiquette

  1. John Frenaye says:

    ANother tip that I keep harping on is to have a personal profile and a business page.

    Business pages are not for brussel sprouts or espressos.

    ANd since there may be some overlap between business and personal friends, on the personal pages, people must create lists and set privacy level accordingly. That way, you can post to your wall with impunity about your love for sprouts and all of your sprout loving friends will see it and enjoy it because they love you. But your potentially sprout hating casual acquaintance will not be any more the wise!

Share your thoughts on “Grandma’s Lessons for Facebook Etiquette”

You must be a registered user and be logged in to post a comment.