Top 10 Golden Rules of Facebook

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Researchers at Arizona State University used focus groups and undergraduate student surveys to come up with a top 10 list of the most important rules for keeping your Facebook friends — and for ensuring that missteps on the social networking site don't make you enemies in real life. Rules may differ for older users, but college students listed their dos and don'ts as follows:

1. Expect a response: Users most strongly agreed that reciprocity matters. If someone posts on your Facebook wall, you're expected to respond.

2. No disrespect: Posting disrepectful content about a Facebook friend is considered bad form.

3. Think before you post: It's important to consider the negative impact a post could have on a friend before making the post. 

4. Don't repost: If a friend deletes a wall post or tag that you made, it's considered impolite to repost that content.

5. Don't be a stranger: Facebook isn't seen as a replacement for face-to-face interaction. Real friends should be contacted through other means beside the site, users agreed.

6. Be honest: It's considered polite to present yourself honestly but positively to Facebook friends.

7. Don't be an addict: Facebooking so much that it interferes with work is a big no-no.

8. Protect yourself: No posting information that a friend or acquaintance could later use against you.

9. Think, again: Many users say they apply a "common sense" rule in their interactions with Facebook friends.

10. It's all about jobs: Consider how a post would look to a friend's employer or potential employer before putting it on his or her wall. 

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