Please use some common sense on Facebook.

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I have many coworkers that are my friends on Facebook. The site has their picture, full name and place of work. They'll post negative comments about patients in general or criticize their place of employment. I realize someone can have their profile hidden; however, nothing is really hidden online. Why incriminate and play career suicide?

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Know anyone fired for facebook posts or comments?

I have many coworkers that are my friends on Facebook. The site has their picture, full name and place of work. They'll post negative comments about patients in general or criticize their place of employment. I realize someone can have their profile hidden; however, nothing is really hidden online. Why incriminate and play career suicide?

Has anyone else noticed this trend? Know anyone fired for facebook posts or comments?

The old saying about the inseparability of the fool and his folly still holds.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.

I don't understand why this is your business unless it is interfering with work. You sound like big brother.

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Thanks for posting this! I hate that employers search for you and use your personal information "against" you, but unfortunately there's nothing anyone can do about that.

Because of this post, I put my full name into Google and did a people search for me. I was suprised to see my name, address, and e-mail address on a few websites that I never signed up on! Those being 123people.com, MyLife.com, US search, and intellius.com. I contacted all of these websites with hopes of them removing my personal information. If that doesn't work, I will be contacting my county's records departments.

I am not doing this because I have anything to "fear" from future employers, but rather because I don't feel comfortable having my public information out there. I just got out of a nasty and violent relationship; I don't want this person finding where I live, etc.

A little off topic I guess, but I just wanted to let everyone know that your information really IS out there, and there are ways to remove it if you look and work hard enough. Checking these websites every so often would be helpful too, as this information can easily be reposted in the future. Please be careful for your future and your personal safety!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.
Thanks for posting this! I hate that employers search for you and use your personal information "against" you, but unfortunately there's nothing anyone can do about that.

Because of this post, I put my full name into Google and did a people search for me. I was suprised to see my name, address, and e-mail address on a few websites that I never signed up on! Those being 123people.com, MyLife.com, US search, and intellius.com. I contacted all of these websites with hopes of them removing my personal information. If that doesn't work, I will be contacting my county's records departments.

I am not doing this because I have anything to "fear" from future employers, but rather because I don't feel comfortable having my public information out there. I just got out of a nasty and violent relationship; I don't want this person finding where I live, etc.

A little off topic I guess, but I just wanted to let everyone know that your information really IS out there, and there are ways to remove it if you look and work hard enough. Checking these websites every so often would be helpful too, as this information can easily be reposted in the future.

all of the sites that you mentioned are legal record searches. Unfortunately, you can't get your name "removed" from them. You can only keep your nose clean. They list things that are a matter of public record. In fact, some BONs use these types of sites.

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Specializes in LTC, CPR instructor, First aid instructor..

That is a very unprofessional thing to do. What if you were a patient and a member of facebook and you read a negative message from a co-worker who cared for you? How would you feel? How do those patients feel? I believe Florence Nightengale would frown upon it.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Hmmmmm I just searched myself in that mylife.com and it pulled up my name and avatar from THIS site. The avatar I just had before I changed it yesterday and this site was the only one I used this one particular photo for. I used my real info to register for this site but I didn't display it at all :stone

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I'm a former police officer (now in nursing school). One of my ex-coworkers recently "resigned due to personal reasons" after it was discovered he made stupid comments on Facebook about "messing" with people while on patrol. Local newspaper found out, front page story, lawsuit, etc.etc.etc.

WWW = nothing is private. Be careful.

Well, that's not exactly true...... if folks are willing to use and understand the security tools at their disposal (what these tools will and won't do) it isn't true. Facebook has far more privacy than e-mail.....which many folks think of as "private."

It is absolutely possible to lock down a Facebook account so that only your friends can see your content. With that in mind, anything that is posted on a friends item (status, wall, pic, link, etc) can be seen by all of their friends. And any pic or video that is a friend's, but you are tagged on has the privacy controlled by that friend (easy solution is to untag yourself if friends tag you).

But, if folks understand how these tools work....your content will only be visible to their friends. (Oh and....not that I haven't anything questionable posted, but I do verify that nothing's slipping through by doing searches of myself periodically).

The other thing to consider is who your "friends" are. I consider facebook to be like moving to a small town. You don't talk trash about anyone, because you don't know who's "kin" to whom. Meaning, you don't know about all of your friends other friends or relationships.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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Hmmmmm I just searched myself in that mylife.com and it pulled up my name and avatar from THIS site. The avatar I just had before I changed it yesterday and this site was the only one I used this one particular photo for. I used my real info to register for this site but I didn't display it at all :stone

I just checked mylife.com and they don't have my name at all (well there were a couple of entries with my name, but none of them were associated with places I've lived).

But I try to be careful about keeping my name either off a site, or if I use my real name it's behind security.

Peace,

CuriousMe

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all of the sites that you mentioned are legal record searches. Unfortunately, you can't get your name "removed" from them. You can only keep your nose clean. They list things that are a matter of public record. In fact, some BONs use these types of sites.

Actually, you can. At least according to their FAQs. Intelius will if you fax them proof of identiy, as well as the others. The only one I had trouble with was 123people. Their information is gathered from other websites that gather public information, and as long as you contact those original sources and get your info removed from them, 123people will remove it from their site... supposedly.

Here's some more info on public records: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2006-10-05-database-info_x.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/personalInformation

Ah well. If it's out there, and can't be removed, I guess the only thing we can do is hope that no one uses it for illegal purposes!

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I don't have a facebook account and refuse to have one. I've seen too many "friends" (including FAMILY) get in trouble or cause trouble on it. My daughter caused domestic problems for my son when answering a post on a wall (WHATEVER that means...) from a cousin. Now our Thanksgiving celebration at my son's home is being held with my daughter's family NOT invited...all because of some comment made on facebook. So sad...

A lot of this stuff though is not a problem with "Facebook" but a problem with what people say. There's a high likelihood that your daughter could have caused the same problem in talking to the cousin.

Some folks just don't think before they think/type. Facebook just makes those errors more visible.

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I do not post anything about work or patients. I have seen posts by other people who are not my friends on my friend's profile and have read things like "work sucks as usual." Stupid. Why post anything about work on facebook. I am so happy to leave at the end of the day, why would I want to take it home? And I also do not post pictures of me drinking with friends, etc.. I use it to keep up with family, to brag about my kids, positive things. Now, I do have a journal I use to write in to sound off to relieve stress, but it's locked away under my mattress:)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, educator.
Actually, you can. At least according to their FAQs. Intelius will if you fax them proof of identiy, as well as the others. The only one I had trouble with was 123people. Their information is gathered from other websites that gather public information, and as long as you contact those original sources and get your info removed from them, 123people will remove it from their site... supposedly.

Here's some more info on public records: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/kimkomando/2006-10-05-database-info_x.htm

http://www.squidoo.com/personalInformation

Ah well. If it's out there, and can't be removed, I guess the only thing we can do is hope that no one uses it for illegal purposes!

I paid to do all of the above, and my horrible ex-husband found me. And the excuse given by intellius? It's a matter of public record. So much for public safety. My brother in law is a lawyer and told me that unfortunately, anything that is public record is fair game, at least in my state......

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