USA WEEKEND columnist Steven Petrow helps you navigate the digital world in the real world.
When I tag friends in a photo I'm uploading to Facebook, is it OK to identify them without asking permission? If they don't have a Facebook account, what do I do?
– Debbie L., Baldwin, N.Y.
Just as I sat down to write this answer, my iPhone pinged me with this message: "Vince tagged you in a post." "Grrr," I said to myself. "What fresh new hell will this bring?"
Every day I read stories about "inappropriate" tagging. Take these two examples: An employee calls in sick but actually goes to the beach and is tagged in a coworker's photo that his boss sees. Yikes. Or consider the case of a married friend who is tagged in a salacious bachelor party photo, not knowing that his wife would see it in her newsfeed. Egads.
For years, people have whispered about the "unspoken etiquette of Facebook tagging." Well, I'm now going to shout it out:
Do not tag anyone in a photo unless you've asked for his or her permission for that picture. It's a really simple rule – although an uphill battle – and one that will save tons of heartache — not to mention a few jobs, and possibly some friendships and marriages. (As for friends who are not on Facebook, you can't actually tag them, but you should still ask permission before posting their likeness and identifying them.)
Fortunately, Facebook now allows users to approve photo tags before we get fingered for the whole world to see. So, when my friend Vince's message popped into my mailbox, it also gave me the option to veto being identified because I had chosen that privacy option (although it won't prevent the photo from being uploaded). I recommend you take this step. Otherwise, remove the tag or ask the friend to "untag" you, which any decent friend will do without question.
Of course, the best way to avoid being tagged in an embarrassing photo is the old-fashioned way: Stay out of the picture in the first place.
Read more of Steven Petrow's Your Digital Life columns on usaweekend.com. Submit your question below. You can also follow Steven on Twitter @StevenPetrow and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow.
Source : http://tinyurl.com/qgfy7ct
When I tag friends in a photo I'm uploading to Facebook, is it OK to identify them without asking permission? If they don't have a Facebook account, what do I do?
– Debbie L., Baldwin, N.Y.
Just as I sat down to write this answer, my iPhone pinged me with this message: "Vince tagged you in a post." "Grrr," I said to myself. "What fresh new hell will this bring?"
Every day I read stories about "inappropriate" tagging. Take these two examples: An employee calls in sick but actually goes to the beach and is tagged in a coworker's photo that his boss sees. Yikes. Or consider the case of a married friend who is tagged in a salacious bachelor party photo, not knowing that his wife would see it in her newsfeed. Egads.
For years, people have whispered about the "unspoken etiquette of Facebook tagging." Well, I'm now going to shout it out:
Do not tag anyone in a photo unless you've asked for his or her permission for that picture. It's a really simple rule – although an uphill battle – and one that will save tons of heartache — not to mention a few jobs, and possibly some friendships and marriages. (As for friends who are not on Facebook, you can't actually tag them, but you should still ask permission before posting their likeness and identifying them.)
Fortunately, Facebook now allows users to approve photo tags before we get fingered for the whole world to see. So, when my friend Vince's message popped into my mailbox, it also gave me the option to veto being identified because I had chosen that privacy option (although it won't prevent the photo from being uploaded). I recommend you take this step. Otherwise, remove the tag or ask the friend to "untag" you, which any decent friend will do without question.
Of course, the best way to avoid being tagged in an embarrassing photo is the old-fashioned way: Stay out of the picture in the first place.
Read more of Steven Petrow's Your Digital Life columns on usaweekend.com. Submit your question below. You can also follow Steven on Twitter @StevenPetrow and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/stevenpetrow.
Source : http://tinyurl.com/qgfy7ct
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