Facebook Etiquette

We are living in the age of social media. As of the first quarter of this year, Facebook had 1.44 billion monthly active users (those who have logged in to Facebook in the last 30 days).

Out of those 1.44 billion users, it’s safe to guess that large portions of them aren’t doing anything constructive — they are just making a lot of noise. You probably have Facebook “friends” like that. They can’t stop posting! “Just got out of bed. Need my cup of coffee!” “Going to the gym.” “On the way to work.”

Facebook can be used for more than just making noise. Marketing, education, staying plugged into the industry and keeping up with family and friends are all good reasons to use Facebook.

We need to keep in mind that Facebook is a “public” forum. Many people can access our wall, photos, and information that we post on Facebook. How we interact on Facebook says a lot about who we are as people and professionals. Do you want to be viewed as a professional? Here are a few tips to consider.

Don’t over-post.Is there a magic number to limit your posts to? Not that I know of. But be considerate of your friends. Some people take posting to an extreme level, sharing links, photos, blogs, news stories and personal posts 20, 30, and more times daily. You’d think they are competing in the Facebook Olympics. I sometimes wonder how they manage to do all this while holding down a job. Maybe their co-workers are thinking the same thing? Don’t allow Facebook to control your free time, or worse — take away from the time you are supposed to be working.

Be careful what you post.The aviation maintenance industry is small. People pay attention to what you post. There is no excuse for using profanity or posting inappropriate photos or videos. Be careful what you “like” or comment on as well. I like to imagine my grandparents (who have all passed on) being my friends on Facebook. Would they approve of my posting? If not, I shouldn’t be posting it.

Be social.It amazes me how un-social “social networks” can be. If you wouldn’t do it in a real social environment, don’t do it on Facebook. Would you go to an event and purposely offend someone to his or her face? Probably not, yet many people do that through their Facebook posts. Rude comments are made to others’ status updates. Offensive posts are made.

Speaking of offensive posts, you have probably heard the saying, “Don’t talk politics or religion at a social gathering.” The reasoning is that if you bring up either topic you will end up getting into a heated discussion with someone. And when religion or politics are discussed, the parties involved are typically set in their ways. You won’t change anyone’s mind. Instead, you will end up affirming the beliefs of those that agree with you and annoying, or worse upsetting, those that don’t agree with you.

Step away from the computer.I have never seen a job description for a mechanic or DOM position that required the candidate to have excellent Facebook skills. Although Facebook provides an opportunity to expand your networking opportunities, it can be very easy to waste a lot of time on the site. Instead of sitting like a zombie in front of the computer screen for hours on end, consider spending quality time with your friends and family. You can attend industry events. You can join a group like Toastmasters to become a better speaker. Some might not believe it, but there IS life beyond Facebook. 

When you do find yourself logged in to Facebook, stop by our page (www.Facebook.com/dommagazine) on occasion and say “Hi.” Be sure to “Like” us while you are there to stay up to date on the latest information relevant to aviation maintenance management.

Now back to your regularly scheduled Facebook time.   

Thanks for reading, and we appreciate your feedback!  –  Joe

About D.O.M. Magazine

D.O.M. magazine is the premier magazine for aviation maintenance management professionals. Its management-focused editorial provides information maintenance managers need and want including business best practices, professional development, regulatory, quality management, legal issues and more. The digital version of D.O.M. magazine is available for free on all devices (iOS, Android, and Amazon Kindle).

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More Info

Joe Escobar (jescobar@dommagazine.com)
Editorial Director
920-747-0195

Greg Napert (gnapert@dommagazine.com)
Publisher, Sales & Marketing
608-436-3376

Bob Graf (bgraf@dommagazine.com)
Director of Business, Sales & Marketing
608-774-4901