Don't Let Facebook De-Face You

Social-networking sites make it easier to connect with friends and make new ones, but they also let casual acquaintances  like co-workers—or your boss—look you up on a whim.  Protect your privacy with these six steps from MarketWatch:

1. Look for tools that allow you to restrict access to your profile, like the "private" setting on MySpace or the "limited profile" function on Facebook.

2. Limit how much you associate your online profile with work.  On Facebook, for instance, set your network as your geographic location rather then workplace.
3. Don't alert people when you're leaving town.
4. Be selective about who you friend.
5. Unless you'd stand in Times Square and shout it, don't post it on you profile. 
6. On Facebook, everytime you join a network adjust your privacy settings on that network.

(More MySpace stories.)