Thanks to free social media sites, people can express themselves speedily online in whatever ways they want, whenever they want.

The spontaneity and whimsy can result in delight.  The lack of forethought can cause harm.

And on the Internet, with very, very few exceptions, nothing is private and everything is forever.

Taking “The Great Pause” - a moment to ask oneself a series of questions - can reduce the risk of doing great harm to one’s company, partners, and clients through one’s social media updates.

About this content I’m about to update to my company’s - even my own - Facebook page, Twitter account, Flickr photos, YouTube channel, blog, or other social media forum:

1. Can I have the whole world read this – anytime, anywhere, by anyone, forever?
2. Is this an expression of my best self?
3. Is this someone else’s private news or information that is theirs to share, not mine?
4. If I am uncertain of answers to the first three questions, would I be open to running the content by someone before I post it?

When I use these questions, with an answer of "yes" to all, I click the update button.  A "no" doesn't necessarily mean I won't later click the update button, but I pause again and get very clear on what I’m doing and why when I use social media. 

Most of the time.  I have posted some pretty stupid updates, usually when trying too hard to be clever. 

With branding forethought, but without personal and professional forethought, I opened my business Twitter account using the name of this site, Handshake 2.0, @handshake20.  As I followed, and was followed by, both business associates and friends, I discovered, as with all social media sites, that the line between personal and professional is blurred. 

Offline, the consequences of “being too personal” in a business setting can end a deal.  Offline, the consequences of “being too business-like” in a personal setting can end a date.

Online, using social media, I share both personal and professional information in each channel - as I am doing right now in this blog post - and  both “being personal” and “being business-like” tend to be the norms.  Whether or not they're "too" is still being defined.  But not “being both” can end an online relationship, whether for a deal or for a date.

I do wonder how this blending of personal and professional lives will evolve.  In states of high feeling and deep thought, at times my words seem to share themselves.  I use The Great Pause and the questions above to help me make conscious choices about what I share, rather than letting the words do the talking.