'Never put anything on social media that your mother would give you a clip around the ear for '

Columnist Dave Swanton writes about the perils of putting your whole life on social media.
Social mediaSocial media
Social media

The first anniversary of me working for myself from home passed a couple of weeks ago and it’s time to reflect on the things that have happened in 2018.

Heart issues, a broken ankle, cut head and pneumonia have been some speedbumps I have encountered, but I seem to have what Ian Dowie referred to a ‘bouncebackability’.

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Apart from three weeks off relaxing, I have only missed three days at work all year.

I worked from my hospital bed at one point putting together a publication on four different iPads.

All was going well until a lovely nurse asked if I minded sharing the WiFi with other patients.

That’s one of the bonuses of working from home; I can run as many machines at one time as I need to.

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I have time to study the media feeds on social media and got my Twitter Blue Tick as a ‘media commentator’.

I have also been asked to help a sports agency to coach their signed-up sportsmen and women on the pitfalls of social media.

At one time media took a few hours to ‘bake like a cake’, now it’s instant and once you press the button, it’s global.

It becomes available to anyone and everyone unless you have locked your account, and believe me not many do.

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The screen grab or taking a snap shot of a tweet means even if you delete it, the screen grabber still has an image.

It’s worth remembering, too, that on Facebook, once you publish a photo it’s in the public domain and no amount of tears or threats about privacy will work.

A right click and save on a photograph and a career can be in tatters before it takes off.

My best advice is NEVER put anything on social media that your mother would give you a ‘clip around the ear for’.

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Older readers will relate to this, younger readers may realise what a barbaric upbringing we had...but survived.

I am getting more and more enquiries about social media coaching, which I enjoy thoroughly as some of the questions from people are amazing. Carole and I are looking to move house in 2019. Working from home means all I need is a Wi-Fi connection, but I will be staying in this area as it has and always will be home.

I was surprised the other week when I put an offer in at an estate agent that was accepted, that it was then ‘gazumped’ by another offer.

I thought all that stopped in the 1970s?

Some of the descriptions on properties are hilarious.

One we went to see stated the property was rich with potential.

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Sorry, but it needed a wrecking ball putting through it and starting from scratch.

The ones that smell of damp when you walk in are not helped with the central heating being turned on until the radiators glow red.

The estate agents years ago worked seven days a week, now it’s Monday to Friday and they want you to write off a whole afternoon for a viewing rather than ask when you would like to view the property.

Are houses in such short supply or are some (not all) estate agents detached (do you see what I did there) from reality?

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It’s a theory I have that sadly more and more people and businesses believe the world revolves around them.

The hunger or ‘eye of the tiger’ is missing.

Let them carry on, though; I am old school and will sweep up what they lose.

Thanks for reading the columns I have written in 2018, hopefully I have given you something to smile about, discuss and share.

Let’s do some more in 2019. Until then I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year and keep reading the Post.