PCM Techcast 17: Social Media Rules to Use and Stay Trouble-Free

Our posts to social media accounts like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram may not necessarily be written in stone, but you might as well think they are before committing anything for the online world to see.

That’s the main theme of episode 17 of the PC Mike Techcast and exactly why we wanted Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, to walk us through some social media rules to live by and avoid hurting ourselves. She’s sort of the Miss Manners of the Social Media World.

It’s especially timely in light of the Clear app making all kinds of headlines this week – it was invented by a guy fired from a prominent job because of some less-than-savory posts from his past.

Among other things, Diane walks us through:
– What you should consider before posting to Facebook, Twitter or any other social media outlet
– Be aware of who might look at your social media accounts
– How you can use Internet searches to learn more about yourself
– How reliable privacy settings really are
– Who you should – or shouldn’t tag – in photos
– What kind of posts are best
– How serious you should – or shouldn’t – consider your online presence

[spp-player]

Shownotes from episode 17 of the PC Mike Techcast

First Things First: Apple Watch Watch

Mike gives a quick update on the status of his forthcoming Apple Watch as mentioned in the previous episode of the PC Mike Techcast and when you heard him go through the process of ordering the device at 3 a.m.

Tech News and Trends: Comcast/TWC Merger Dropped, Google’s Project Fi

Comcast and Time Warner Cable called off their $45 billion merger Friday. The deal faced an increasing amount of pushback from just about everyone not in the deal.  (Read more)

Google entered the mobile carrier market officially this week with its launch of Project Fi. It’s not quite ready for primetime, though there appears to be some potential for the offering.  Click the following link from The Verge to see how Project Fi stacks up against competitors. (Read more)

App Review: Clean Up Your Social Media Act with Clear App

The app called Clear has been making lots of headlines this week – promising to clean up your social media act by scanning your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds for potentially offensive posts. Click the following link to see TechCrunch’s take on Clear. (Read more)

Interview: Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas

Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, joins us to explain in “no geek-speak” terms how you can use social media without an app – nor it coming back to bite you. Her personal website can be found here (Diane has a ton of other overall etiquette tips you’ll find useful, too). A link to The Protocol School of Texas can be found here.

During the interview, Diane mentions the following rules to live by when it comes to social media:

1. Determine how you want to be perceived on Facebook, Twitter, and all social media outlets. Like it or not, your communication becomes a strong part of your overall image. Recognize this as an opportunity to set yourself apart as a person with integrity.
2. Know that employers DO check your social media accounts.Some may tell you they don’t have time to visit everyone’s profile, but smart employers know it’s worth the effort before saying “yes” to a new hire.
3. Google yourself.Observe what comes up, including Google images. Eliminate any questionable posts or pictures. Show respect for yourself and your credibility by keeping your posts (and your daily interaction) clean.
4. You are what you tweet or post.People make judgments based on what they see and every post matters. Read through your stream and ensure it reflects your character.
5. Don’t rely on privacy settings.Anything can be shared on the web. Download an app that will alert you if something is posted online where your reputation could be in question. Google Alerts will monitor the web and notify you when your name has been mentioned. You can find a variety of tools by searching “Reputation Management”.
6. Dedicate posts emphasizing your achievements and accomplishments. Link to charities you support and let others know how they can get involved. Vary your content to retain interest. And, of course, only post if it’s the truth.
7. Take your online presence seriously. Social media is a phenomenal way to connect, build a community of like-minded friends and stay current on what’s going on in the world. Use it wisely and you will reap the benefits. Abuse it, or disregard its importance, and you will eventually face the consequences.

[spp-player]

Why you need a Dash Cam

Mike explains why a dash cam makes so much sense and whyhe has it on his vehicle, recording every mile he drives.  (read all about it)

Online Learning – Free Trial for PC Mike Listeners

I get asked a lot about finding online courses for learning how to use photography software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom CC, which are both on my recently updated list of tech gear. I talk about how I benefited from taking online courses as well as a special deal available only to PC Mike Techcast listeners at pcmike.com/lynda, where you can even try it free for 10 days and see if online learning works as well for you as it has for me. By the way, they have more than 3,300 courses to pick from – including more than 100,000 video tutorials – in subjects ranging from photography, video and audio to graphic design and web development. With Lynda, you can get:

– Unlimited access to all 3,314 courses – more than 100,000 video tutorials
– Learn new software and stay up to date

Listeners of the PC Mike podcast can get a free 10-day trial. Try any course. Start your trial now and see what you can learn. Just go to https://pcmike.com/lynda to get the free 10 day trial.

[spp-player]

We Need Your Help!

As we begin a new podcast like this, it’s very important to get a bunch of reviews to be able to show well in the iTunes listings. So if you can, I’d sure appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave me your rating and review.

Here’s how:

First, open up the iTunes app on your computer or mobile device. Click on Podcasts on top
> From the iTunes Podcasts page, use the “Search Store” field up at the top right corner of the page. Type in PC Mike Techcast under the Podcasts category.
> Click on the logo image of the PC Mike Techcast on the search return page
> From there, you can:

1) Subscribe

2) Choose and Click on a star (1-5) that reflects your rating. Five stars means you really like it, one star not so much.

3) Leave a written review.

Thanks to all for the kind reviews we’ve received so far. I read and appreciate every review! If you haven’t left a review please do so. I will be so grateful!

And remember, you can appear in future episodes. Ask a question or voice your comments by clicking the Leave Voicemail tab on the right side of this page here at pcmike.com. You can then use the microphone on your computer to record your question.

Thank you!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download