www.csea9200.com_Facebook County Page

The Westchester County Administration is Inviting Employees to join
Facebook to see the Westchester Facebook Page content.

Facebook (FB) is a “Social Networking Site” in that it allows a person to create a free web “Profile” to place info and photos about themselves on the world wide web.
FB for commercial firms is a means to promote their business and is called a Facebook "Page".
While this is a useful method to share information from the County administration, please be aware of potential personal privacy issues associated with Facebook if you choose to create your own profile in Facebook.

Your FB profile is the Web page other web users will see. Potentially, all other FB members (total strangers to you) and non FB members will see your info and photos.
Facebook also has bogus profiles created to attract attention. Knowing this, criminal investigators use FB and other sites to lure suspected criminals.

The FB programming decides that you want to connect with people with similar info such as where you work, your school / college history, where you live, and other info. Facebook uses the info you provide to connect your profile to others.
The upside is that you'll be able to see old classmates or coworkers who have Facebook accounts; the downside is that anyone else will be able to find you.

You can choose not to answer FB questions or to adjust privacy settings so that others can't find you, but that tends to defeat the purpose of a social networking site.
As a new Facebook user, you may enjoy creating new content, and you may post some highly personal info, forgetting that you had become a “Fan” of the County Facebook site. That might become an issue where the other workers in your dept, and your supervisors, might see this personal content.
Keep all this in mind; it may cause extreme public embarrassment.

Other profiles that may become associated with yours may contain derogatory, defamatory, sexist, or racist content, and make mention of illegal activities. There have been cases where Facebook information has been secretly obtained by devious internet hackers.

Be aware of the above if you create your Facebook profile. Don’t assume that any of the FB privacy features will offer any protection.
Another issue to consider is if the use of Facebook during County business hours would possibly be considered a basis for discipline charges if taken to an extreme.

DON'T BE A FACEBOOK STATISTIC
Protect your privacy - know your friends!         Prevent embarrassing situations and controversy!
Prevent guilt by association!                                 Prevent possible prosecution!

Unless you’re planning on allowing the entire world to know you, your friends, and family:
Limit your account settings                      Limit your privacy settings            Limit your application settings

Think before you type.
Your Facebook words and those of your friends & family could lead to unwanted attention by your employer and even the police.
Freedom of speech is fine but can result in way too many problems you don't want to try and defend.

Current Facebook stories:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387315,00.asp

http://www.pcworld.com/article/205295/gang_uses_facebook_to_rob_houses.html?tk=nl_spx_t_cbintro
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1300572/Woman-discovers-Facebook-husband-married-else.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/198951/what_is_your_facebook_data_worth.html?tk=nl_spx_t_cbintro
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20004511-83.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10420861-245.html       http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=31996
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20000682-245.html        http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6989100.stm
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-03-02-facebook-professors_N.htm
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20000550-38.html          http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6989100.stm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/24/bosses-snoop-facebook-twitter-blogs
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10436698-245.html
http://www.cnet.com.au/mafia-wars-facebook-traps-real-life-mob-hitman-339301871.htm
http://business-writing.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_use_facebook_pages_for_business