It’s called Facebook … Where’s your face?

So you finally signed up for Facebook. You filled out your profile and you’ve already started inviting friends. You’re adding applications, sending drinks, goofy cards, images, games, and the like to everyone you know. You’re even inviting friends who are NOT on Facebook. You are a Facebook madman! You’ve uploaded 20 or 30 of the most embarrassing photos of your friends you can find. You are adding cute little comments on each photo. You’re posting links to funny Youtube videos, links to your blog, and general Ha Ha funny links. You are one happy social networking freak!

So how long do we have to wait for you to post your photo? IT’S CALLED FACEBOOK! WHERE’S YOUR FACE? When I search for John Smith, and several thousand John Smiths show up, how the hell am I supposed to distinguish you from the other John Smiths with the default Facebook sillouette showing up? Go ahead friend, PLEASE, PLEASE POST A PHOTO OF YOURSELF!

Here are a couple of tips:

1. Avoid using blurry photos
2. Avoid using dark, dimly lit photos
3. Avoid using photos where you are hardly recognizable
4. Avoid using photos where 5 or more people appear in the photo

Here’s another fun little trick. Instead of posting a photo of yourself, you cleverly post an image of your cute little son or daughter. Adorable. I get it. You love your child. Is it necessary to post their photo where your profile photo should be? Hmmm … I’m going to go with NO! How about starting a new photo album with photos of your child. That would be a great place to start.

So for all my friends out there. Grab a hold of the clue bag and dig deep for a clue. Post a clear, cheerful, fun photo of yourself and make us all proud!

Cluebag alert – Email etiquette

Email is a necessity when it comes to communication. Here are a few of my tips from the cluebag:

If you reply to an email, don’t start a new topic without changing the subject.
Suppose you get an email titled “Meeting to determine the next meeting.” Everyone can chime in and give their two cents. Sure, maybe Bob can make it but Sally can’t. Perhaps several action items are added to the list – great! DON’T HIT REPLY AND ASK WHO IS VOLUNTEERING FOR THE UPCOMING BLOOD DRIVE WITHOUT CHANGING THE SUBJECT LINE. What’s worse is the fifteen new people who reply to this email. Every five replies a new subject is added WITH THE SAME SUBJECT LINE!

How do you expect me to find your email about the “Impending new project deadline” when you fail to CHANGE THE SUBJECT! I guess I’ll just spend 10 to 15 minutes hunting down your email. Better yet, I’ll call you on the phone and ask if you sent the email to me so I can be the fool. Oh, you say, you sent it on Tuesday at 4:39. Ah. Now I able to find it. Not because of the subject line – Meeting to determine the next meeting – but because I had to phone you and ASK YOU.

Don’t send an urgent, time sensitive email without any additional communication
Let’s suppose for a moment that I receive an email titled “Bake sale moved up one hour.” I’m knee deep in work and only periodically checking my email. The bake sale is in full swing when I receive a call asking “Where are you, the bake sale started 20 minutes ago?” I’ll tell you where I am – I’m planning on wrapping up what I’m working on because the bake sale STARTS IN 40 MINUTES! How about a friendly 8 second call letting me know about the time change. Better yet, how about taking 11 steps, passing by my office and “THE BAKE SALE TIME HAS CHANGED!”

Don’t send ridiculous jokes or chain letters
I really don’t care if a terrible plague swallows up the earth if I don’t immediately forward your email to 20 of my friends. It’s a shame too. I’m sure my friends would really enjoy reading your silly email. Also, I’m not going to send money to some joker in South Africa because of his pathetic sob story about his millions of dollars temporarily tied up. I don’t care. I use email for communication with friends and colleagues.

Roughly 10 years ago I finally had to write a “STOP SENDING ME JOKES” email to a longtime friend. I don’t think he took it too well. Even after sending that scathing email, he would occasionally send me a “THIS IS REALLY, REALLY, FUNNY” email. Unfortunately he was not always right. And that’s putting it mildly. I was forced to create a filter so I wouldn’t get sucked into reading more nonsense.

On the other hand, I do sometimes look forward to certain joke emails which actually ARE funny. I guess there is a trusted source for everything.

Come on people, time to get the clue bag. Reach deep and grab a clue! A little etiquette goes a long way. Where’s the love? How about a little consideration for your fellow neighbor.