Co-workers and Facebook

Yes, I have about 2 or 3 friends from work on my Facebook friends list. I would go out to lunch with them and could call them after work if I needed help doing something.

What I'm not sure I like is how sometimes what you like shows up on their news feed as "Your friend liked this". I didn't realize this happened for the first few years.

I don't get into the crazy arguments that can occur when you are anonymous and don't really know the people. But, you do start to question some of your 'friends' after what they support or post.

I use it mostly to post pictures of places I've been to currently.

 

I must say the FB is becoming increasingly silly anyway. I don't really view it as a way to express myself in any real way.

 

Well, the Facebook of now is not Facebook of ten years ago. It's overrun by everyone and everything. It's like a mini-internet. And there are many folks that don't use it in a way that is casual like a chat in the Town Square so it can be shrill. That's why I adjust my settings as needed. Do the same for my Twitter.
I don't expect everyone to like my stuff because it's way too non-specific. I'm all over the map, which is a reflection of me being interested in quite a few topics. That trait also make my blogs not have a unified theme. Que sera. I don't take social media to heart, though I do take it seriously.

 

I only friend those that I identify are true "friends", I don't just friend everyone just because I work with them. I use Linked In for professional relationships. I don't post too much that would get me into trouble at work anyway, but still, just in case.

 

I use it to stay in touch with family, old classmates, old workmates, people from a couple of internet fora, and some current workmates.

My metric tends to be "would I invite them to my house if they were in town?".

I am very conscious that any website where I advertise who I work for could (via the strictest and most paranoid reading of my terms of employment) be used as evidence of misconduct, bullying, or breaking rules on diversity. I post only things that are public domain and inoffensive professionally, therefore.

 

I think it also depends on how long you've known a person at work and how you've gauged their character.

If I'm not sure about someone, I'm not giving them access, regardless of how careful my posting behavior

Partly, it's my nature. It takes a lot to get me to trust a person, whether it's direct face to face relating or the online variety.

 

Like most people here, I don't post anything overly secret or incriminating on my facebook anyway, so i'm not really concerned about who I add as long as I know them somehow.

That said, when I was teaching (primary/elementary) I would tend to avoid adding other teachers that I wasn't close with. Some of them seemed offended by anything that wasn't PG rated, and I just didn't want to have to worry about that. Now that I work in a small science centre with a group of co-workers I enjoy (it's a much more relaxed and accepting atmosphere), i've added all of them and don't feel the need to censor myself at all.

 

Nope. No way. Never.
I work for a government non-profit. It's a horror story from day to day & Facebook would just increase the trouble & negativity.
How very Republican, huh???

 

I have work colleagues as friends on facebook, mostly so I can be jealous of their holiday photos

I'm of the (quite common apparently) opinion that if you don't want it to be public, don't post it.

 

Judge removed from divorce case after sending one party a Facebook friend request

Wow.

 

I usually don't add people from work, only a few that I've gotten close to and have hung out with after hours.... I use facebook as a conduit to realize how idiotic my family really is...

 

I personally dont, mostly because I am now a manager and I figure most people dont want to be friends with someone who they cant complain about how they hate their job in front of.

 

Very wise, IMO.

 

It's like pulling a string, you friend one coworker and then the flood gates open. Next thing you know, you are hearing all the drama. No thanks!

 

I think that depends on the co-workers. I make a lot of use of PMs, when I want the message to go to a limited audience.