Comments on: Can We Separate our Online Personal and Professional Lives?

By: pk

pk — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 03:20:08 +0000

Perfect timing Ben — as I just discovered “Better Off Ted” (yes, I don’t watch TV much) and watched the “You are the Boss of Me” episode, on Hulu.

By: Ben

Ben — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:40:23 +0000

“This is a nice idea, but since when are we not allowed to be friends with our co-workers?”

That’s why I’ve got you on both LinkedIn and Facebook =)

I treat social media just like e-mail – assume anything can end up on the front page of a newspaper. So I’ve got the professional me (LinkedIn), the “private” me (Facebook, etc.) and the real me. It doesn’t go on a social network if I’m not OK with those worlds colliding.

By: pk

pk — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:34:53 +0000

@sombunnyslove – Knitting, Bunnies are offensive? Wonder what they do for hobbies !?

My point is that it is ok to segment the communities in terms of membership and content, just don’t expect to hide one side from the other. There is no reason to hide anything. Vote with your feet if necessary, life’s too short !

By: Kimberly from SomeBunnysLove

Kimberly from SomeBunnysLove — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:24:13 +0000

Curious thoughts here: I have been keeping my hobby and technical professional lives separate due to misunderstandings and biases that co-workers in the professional life have had. I also have seen the negative reactions of upper management in a large corporation which did not appreciate the enthusiasm for my hobby, and I was thus penalized for it by being singled out and displayed as a non-team player. Maybe in time, I can allow both LinkedIn and Facebook to share content, but until then, I have decided to slowly blend the two into a median identity that would not “offend” in either persona.

By: Steve Robins

Steve Robins — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:49:11 +0000

Great post. I totally agree. Search engines don’t discriminate between personal and professional. If it’s out there, it’s going to be found by someone.

Best advice: if you’re concerned about business folks seeing your personal side, it’s time to remove the “personal” content because it will be found.