Op-Ed: Social Networking and the non tech girl

What's a girl to do with all the social networking places littering the Internet Highway? Should I tweet or bare my soul on LiveJournal? If I go to Facebook will they sell my soul or am I too old to MySpace and all that Indie music?

Should I set my life to video and have my own channel at YouTube? For those of us who aren't the web monkey type which areas on the web are safe or which ones will come back to destroy my chances of future employment? Because I report at times on social media junkets it doesn't mean I am up-to-date on the behind the scene action. I know what I like and what is easiest to navigate though. The best advice for anyone hopping down the social networking jungle trails is to be cautious. Your future bank account could depend on it. Employers and the police are now tiptoeing around checking people out using the Internet. While posting that cute picture of you flashing the party during the weekend may seem like a great idea realize that not only your friends but your co-workers and future employers may question your off time ventures. That advice is good for anywhere you travel on the web. While you may feel like it's the best place to express all of your inner secrets because no one can 'see' you in reality those secrets can be exposed rather easily. Social networking is a wonderful tool to keep up-to-date with friends, family and co-workers. You can use the sites as tools to further your career and stay connected to those that live far away. Understand though that for all the positive activities that there rules of engagement. Don't post anything that would cause you to question employing someone else about yourself and if you do something a bit rash like smoking marijuana it's not in your best interest to broadcast it to the world.