So social networking is the greatest thing since sliced bread. We know. But for all of you fools out there who think it's cool to 'drop-kick' your bosses on Facebook, put up embarrassing photographs of friends on Orkut and send annoying forwards to everyone you know on both a dozen times a day, we present the Dummy's Guide to Social Networking Etiquette:
Don't hide behind your profile
So you're a geek in real life but your social networking account is your disguise? Not so much -- a Spiderman costume would work better and it's just not cool to try and deceive your friends.
Sure, you can fake a name and try to pass off a random firangi's pic from the Internet as your own, but sooner or later you're going to be found out. Because you can't be Balasubramaniam in real life and Bill Bradshaw online -- the sexy ladies you're eyeing will see through it right away.
And when you're found out -- believe us, it's only a matter of time -- you'll be even worse off than when you started. Associating with a geek is one thing, but who wants to associate with a geek who lies?
Says Hemal Biscuitwala, a 25-year-old architect based in New York, "A friend and I once created a fake ID to flirt around with a few friends and have some harmless fun. It's okay as a prank, but we never take it too far. I would never approach a stranger using a fake ID."
Text: Sanaya Dalal with inputs from Mallika Taneja | Illustrations: Uttam Ghosh
Also see: Social networking could land you your dream job
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