10 social media commandments

The social media have become powerful and influential tools for online communication and marketing, especially Facebook and Twitter. There are, however, legal aspects to keep in mind, such as copyright infringement, defamation and the dissemination of illegal content.

To be safe against liability on Twitter, keep in mind the following guidelines.

1: Don't use other people's tweets for business purposes. Some tweets and hyperlinks contain copyrighted material. You have the right to re-tweet it on a "fair use" basis, but accumulating such information as a database for business purposes is prohibited.

2: Always cite your source. To be exempt from laws covering copyright, defamation and computer crime, and also to comply with Twitter's own rules, give credit to the person who made the original tweet anytime you re-tweet.

3: Share your knowledge. To be of interest on Twitter and successful in marketing, you should comment based on your own resources. Consider the 140-character restriction just a spark for your creativity.

4: Be careful what you say online. techniques in cyber-crime investigation and computer forensics can track you down. Your tweets could be traced and retrieved, so say nothing that tarnishes another person's reputation.

5: Re-tweet nothing without first checking the attachments and links. They might contain legally actionable material.

6: Review and monitor your account constantly to ensure no malware or viruses has been embedded. If your computer or handheld isn't working properly, get it fixed quickly.

7: Never add a stranger as a friend. Merely accepting someone's message or photo can infect your account with malware that might copy all of your private information.

8: Avoid unfamiliar networks, even if they're offered for free. You might well end up a victim of identity fraud.

9: Obey tweet etiquette. It keeps you safe and free from legal risk.

10: Don't let the social media dominate your life. It could ruin your family relations. It's just software, after all.