6 things you should never share on Facebook

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The whole social networking phenomenon has millions of Americans sharing their photos, favorite songs and details about their class reunions on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and dozens of similar sites. But there are a handful of personal details that you should never say if you don't want criminals -- cyber or otherwise -- to rob you blind, according to Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.

The folks at Insure.com also say that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. By now almost everybody knows that those drunken party photos could cost you a job. And experts now say that debt collectors are throwing away their phone books in favor of trolling social networking sites to find deadbeats, too.

You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?

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anonymous_but_here says:: Today's sociaty is overwelmed with social media that is more hurtful than it is helpful. Social gatherings over the web may seem fun but after a while it is taking our attention away from how to communicate face to face, in english classes we, as teenagers, use abreviations and shortened words in papers because we dont relize what social media is doing to what we have learned and how it is affecting us. I personally believe things like these people should not use. We think, react, and socialize differntly than we normally would in presence of another person. this could lead to major issues, such as bullying which is a big issue today. Social medias should be banned, it is detroying today's youth.; reply

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AnitaGen says:: It's very sad that these things have to be told or explained to the general public. How stupid have we become? - Very, I fear.

And yes- use privacy settings! And don't give this info to strangers you meet in person on the street either! (duh!); reply

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roselandpete says:: Regarding the Carnegie Mellon study, why don't you publish that study because I'd love to read it. So, my birthdate and place of birth can be used to predict most if not all of my SS numbers? Really? Are you sure Carnegie is not just making this stuff up? If not, then how would Carnegie explain the fact that even though my sister and I were born several years apart and in different countries, our SS numbers are only one digit apart? I'll tell you why--because our SS numbers were issued in numerical sequence because my sister and I applied for our SS numbers at the same SS office at the same time on the same day. So, what does the Carnegie study have to say about that? I'd still like to read that report--if there is such a report.; reply

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A8LOOONG says:: A few bits of advice: only invite actual "friends" to be your friends on sites like FB. That way you weed out the potentially bad people.

Lock your profile down in the settings menu so no one BUT your "friends" see your pics and profile, plans, etc.

Never mention when/where you're going on vacation. Follow up with posted pics and stories once you've returned.; reply

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tawster says:: Privatize your information. Vacation plans? Of course you can post your vacation plans. Assuming your friends are not hoodlums. Geez.

This article is a bit silly.; reply

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tawster says:: Privatize your information. Vacation plans? Of course you can post your vacation plans. Assuming your friends are not hoodlums. Geez.

This article is a bit silly.; reply

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E.A. Blair says:: I have an easier solution - just never use Facebook. If someone put a gun to my head and told me to register on Facebook or any other "social networking site" the only thing I could say is "pull the damned trigger".; reply

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JeffP7 says:: Really? My address? I'm pretty sure I'm in the phone book. If anyone really cared enough to find me, it would be pretty easy...; reply

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civisisus says:: employers & insurers who would base hiring/discipline or underwriting decisions based on facebook entries - or even less documentable sources - are taking huge legal risks.

On the internet, no one knows you're a dog - and while they might suspect it based on something they find on the internet, they damn well better be able to independently verify it.; reply

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lynnevon says:: This article is not taking privacy settings into consideration. Not only can you set your profile as private, you can choose to create a list of ONLY close friends and family and only allow them to see your posts. You can also prevent your facebook profile from showing up in internet searches. I have tested these security settings and they work. That said, it's not a good idea to have personal information like your birth year, phone number, personal email and address visible to ANYONE.; reply