Although Internet interactions can be freewheeling, certain rules of etiquette apply. As with most technology, early adopters tend to set the standards, and latecomers learn to adapt. So "netiquette" does vary, depending on the type of site -- general versus physician-specific, personal versus professional.
And there are a plethora of sites. Social networking no longer involves just a handful of general sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, but includes a network of sites specific to health care, physicians and even specialties.
The first step to social networking, experts say, is to decide what audiences you want to connect with, choose the most appropriate site for each purpose, and set clear boundaries between each one. But even if you opt for purely social networking, a stranger there potentially can become your employer, patient or colleague, and an etiquette blunder could be career-killing.
"There's no way people aren't going to Google a new contact," said Rusty Weston, chief blogger of the networking site My Global Career. "You have to be careful."
A recent survey conducted by Erika S. Fishman, director of research and client services for Manhattan Research, a marketing and research firm for health care and pharmaceutical companies, found nearly half of all physicians feel it is important to have a professional presence online.
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