What Absolutely NOT to have on Facebook

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's why I said "make what you post private." If a girl who has grown up with the Internet doesn't know how to do that or check for that, she's too dumb for a sorority.

It used to be easier than it is now. I admit to having trouble figuring out how to restrict posts and needing someone to remind me how to check my profile. :/ Then again, I also don't post things that people shouldn't see. I don't even let people check me in places, and I have to approve anything that gets posted with me tagged in it (i.e. if someone tags me in a photo or status, I have to approve it. That was a setting I did figure out--no idea how to get back there--and it's awesome).

I also deactivated my facebook during recruitment to avoid having anything go wrong on the facebook front. Obviously, I have a hard time recommending anything I did during formal recruitment as a viable suggestion.

[XAntoftheSkyX]

I am so glad tumblr wasn't around when I was pledging. Not that my facebook is connected to tumblr at all.

[KDCat]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That's why I said "make what you post private." If a girl who has grown up with the Internet doesn't know how to do that or check for that, she's too dumb for a sorority.

I understand why people recommend shutting the whole thing down, but I think it misses an opportunity. If I were going through recruitment today, I would seriously think about using my FB to market myself. I'd make sure that I had pictures of myself doing my best high school activities. I'd have picture of myself and my swimming team mates at State. I'd include pictures of some of the philanthropy work we did for National Honor Society and Science Club. I'd include pictures of my JETS team. (Lord, I was a geek.) I'd include pictures of the really awesome float we built for Science Club for Homecoming. I would also join any pages for any other groups that I'm thinking about joining in college. (Not sororities, but theater, professional groups, whatever) I'd make sure to comment in a positive, upbeat, sweet way on those pages.

I know that all went on my resume/recruitment application, but having pictures makes it more memorable.

[Tulip86]

Same goes for Twitter and Pinterest!

[pearlalum]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Or just make your facebook and what you post private so nebby sorority girls aren't dissecting it. The majority of the time when I click on a college-aged woman's facebook, it's completely private. Why are we discussing what "should" and "should not" be on there?

As a girl from Pittsburgh, I LOVE that you said "nebby!"

[melindawarren]

Originally Posted by KDCat

I understand why people recommend shutting the whole thing down, but I think it misses an opportunity. If I were going through recruitment today, I would seriously think about using my FB to market myself. I'd make sure that I had pictures of myself doing my best high school activities. I'd have picture of myself and my swimming team mates at State. I'd include pictures of some of the philanthropy work we did for National Honor Society and Science Club. I'd include pictures of my JETS team. (Lord, I was a geek.) I'd include pictures of the really awesome float we built for Science Club for Homecoming. I would also join any pages for any other groups that I'm thinking about joining in college. (Not sororities, but theater, professional groups, whatever) I'd make sure to comment in a positive, upbeat, sweet way on those pages.

I know that all went on my resume/recruitment application, but having pictures makes it more memorable.

I see your point. I don't think this is a bad idea, but at the same time, I feel like some girls are still better off not going down that road. You have to have pictures of all of these things in the first place to make this work. If your main high school activity was testing how much alcohol you could drink before you vommed, this is a bad plan.

Also, I hate the idea that you can learn so much about someone through facebook (you didn't say this; others have said it to me). If you read my facebook, all you'd learn about me is that I'm an admin of a Dark Shadows page, do Harry Potter roleplay and play quidditch. It's useful information, but in actuality, it's a VERY small part of what I do. I just don't like facebook and don't use it for anything but what's only facebook-based. If you actually had a conversation with me, you'd learn all that and more.

[KSUViolet06]

Pinterest is one of those things that is new and doesn't have any privacy settings yet (they are supposedly coming soon.)

My biggest piece of advice is if you're rushing and would rather sorority members not see what you're pinning, don't have it as a link on the Website section of your FB or Twitter.

If yours is listed somewhere where people can find it, in my opinion, there are a few things you should be wary of pinning:

*Having an ENTIRE board dedicated to alcohol when you're not of age. Seen it. Bad idea.

*Pinning those dumb "thinspiration" pics of photoshopped 80 lb women with dumb quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

*Tons of really dumb alcohol related quotes like "When all else fails, GET WASTED." Dumb.

*Really dumb things like an entire board titled "SEX" with pics of lingerie models in various positions. Just a really bad idea.

[groovypq]

^People DO that??? I mean, if you gotta pin sex positions, you're doing it wrong.

[KSUViolet06]

I really do wish I could say they didn't. lol.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by KSUViolet06

*Pinning those dumb "thinspiration" pics of photoshopped 80 lb women with dumb quotes like "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

Didn't they get rid of the pro-ana stuff like this on Live Journal? Pinterest should probably do the same.

[KSUViolet06]

^^^Yeah. Pinterest is still very new though and I don't think they've done it yet. You CAN flag stuff like that as inappropriate/offensive/etc. and they'll remove it.