Dooced.

Ah, the Internet. A place in which people can gather, share opinions, comment on others’ ideas, and all be one big, merry, happy online community. Social media has allowed for us all to believe that we now have the ability to talk about whatever we want, whenever we want online – hey, the internet is after all a democratic forum in which people can share their thoughts and ideas, right?

WRONG. That sounds wonderful, but what many of us have learned, or have yet to learn (HURRY UP) is that what one posts online can have serious, detrimental consequences. I, unfortunately, have learned this the hard way. Without going into much detail, a comment I made on a photo on Facebook led to me getting suspended during my second week of ninth grade – yes, a fabulous way to begin high school. The issue wasn’t necessarily what I wrote, although I continue to cringe whenever I picture my mother, father, and myself sitting in the principles office whilst she read what I had posted aloud, but it was the fact that I had my school’s name associated with my profile. It did not matter that the person who the comments were directed at did not have an account, or that these pictures and comments were posted before I had even begun to attend the school. The issue was that when my profile came up it said my high schools name in big fat letters, and that what I had posted was therefore associated with my high school. Since then I have cleaned up my act. I am very aware of what I am posting and how it can affect me in my academic, professional and personal life. This is something that applies to people young and old as well – once in the business world, you must be careful to monitor what you post in order that you don’t get ‘dooced’.

Now I know what you’re thinking: what in the world is “dooced”? Well my fellow Internet uses, this funny sounding word is Internet slang for getting fired because of something you have posted on the web. Shockingly, this happens quite often! Who would have thought that a simple Facebook comment, or blog post could mean the end of your career? Pretty frightening! There have been numerous stories in he media about people being fired as result of Facebook photos and comments, or information they share in blog posts. In a blog appropriately called Dooce, the blogger shares that she herself was fired from her job for sharing less than flattering information about her boss online. She advises “Never write about work on the internet unless your boss knows and sanctions the fact that YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT WORK ON THE INTERNET”, and she’s right! Even something as innocent s “ugh my boss was such a jackass at work today” can, and probably will, get you canned if it is seen by the wrong set of eyes. And even if you don’t get fired, the things you put on the Internet can also lead to a bad rep. My sister, for example, is a high school teacher, and some of her lovely students stumbled upon a bikini pic on her Facebook account. My sister is now formally known as “Ms. Big Boobs”. We all need to be wary of what it is we are posting!

Employees should pay attention to their place of work’s social media policy. Chances are they have one, and chances are it lays out the rules of what one should and should not do when it comes to social media. For example, in the Mashable article titled “10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy”, two really great ones they have included are: 1) Be Responsible For What You Write, and 2) Exercise Good Judgment. Perhaps talking about how you stole paper from the office supply cupboard may not be the best idea, or going on a rant about your boss or coworker. Be smart about what it is you are posting out there! Or else you may end up a sniffling, grade nine girl, on lockdown in her bedroom with no phone or computer access out of a job.

Check out WikiHow’s steps to avoid being dooced.

Sucks to be you.