I knew of a few people who were struggling with how they use social media, but I really took notice when Erin Middleton, a brand planner, wrote a piece titled, “changing the rules.”

“So how are we supposed to function on Facebook when my Director at work can see that I’m ‘recovering from a hard night out’ or that my relationship status went from ‘in a relationship” to ’single?’”

She concluded that this transparency shtick might cross the line into “Too Much Information” for her business contacts, and her business musings might be too dry and boring for her everyday friends.
Thus, she created a separate account for her business contacts and one for her personal contacts.
Then David Reich documented the mistake of a businessman who made this post on Twitter: “True confession but I’m in one of those towns where I’d scratch my head and say ‘I’d rather die than live here.’”
The problem was, he was in town for a business meeting with a client …. FedEx …. and they caught wind of it and took offense.
A fine PR pro himself, David said:

“It’s easy to get caught in a situation like this, since Twitter is about friendly dialogue–But what you write is going out there in public, and Mr. Big Agency Guy should have had a bit more sense and sensitivity.”

Over the next few weeks, the Internet was abuzz with people who pondered or took notice of the ramifications of their prolific use of social media tools:
From CK:

From Jeremiah Owyang:

Yes, folks, it appears Facebook is becoming mainstream. And even though that opens up lots of opportunities for marketers, it is replete with risks.
As of this writing, I have 312 friends on Facebook. I’m not trying to brag …. I’ve never even met a lot of them. Many of them are people I connected with while we were all trying to get a sense of how we could use these tools. As a whole, they cut a wide swath across political and religious spectra, and given my own strong beliefs, I know I’m bound to at some point rub somebody the wrong way.
Does that mean I must create separate accounts for friends who won’t be offended by discussions about Christianity, politics, business, and economics?
I don’t think so. After all, Facebook updates are easy enough to ignore, especially when your friends also have upwards of a couple hundred friends, themselves. Besides, that’s what groups are for.
The right answer for you probably depends on how you want to use the various platforms together.
However, it’s always wise to be mindful of what you say and how you say it. This is true if you’re talking to a group of friends or to a roomful of associates. And considering the fact that it’s much easier to document conversations that occur in the public space online, this is exponentially more true for what you say on Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.
Mind your manners. Obey the Golden Rule. But find that nuance that still allows you to reveal your winning personality. And even if you’re a power user, try not to dominate the conversation. Listening is still twice as valuable as talking.