When you are on the front lines you always tend to learn quicker than when you are on the sidelines. However, if you aren’t prepared every time, each time could be like the first time.

My college aged client performed brilliantly in the deposition we had today and I felt that the account they gave was believable, sincere, and articulate. I prepared my client for questions on the pleadings (specifically the Complaint), on potentially incriminating medical records, and on deposition etiquette in general. What I forgot to remind them of was the potential to be asked questions about photos, sometimes unflattering, they had posted on various social networking websites, like MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Orkut, Friendster and Cyworld.

Brian Dykstra, a senior partner at Jones Dykstra & Associates, wrote an interesting article for Law.com entitled "Social Networking Pitfalls".  Although he provides more technical reasons social networkers should be cautious, he proposes this question, "If someone I didn’t know called me on the phone and asked me for all this information, would I give it to them?" 

I think another important point is to remember your audience: anyone with a computer and Internet access! Don’t put anything up your Mama wouldn’t be proud of.