facebook (intermediate) reading + discussion

Worksheet

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Facebook Would you accept your bosss invitation to online friendship? Is technology changing the rules of office etiquette?

1 Are you on Facebook? Which answer (ae) is closest to your own? Compare your answer with a partner. (a) Of course! (b) Absolutely not! (c) Not yet! (d) Whats Facebook? (e) No, but Im on MySpace

2 Put the paragraph headings (ad) in the correct order by skimming the article.

(a) Company history (b) Socialising with colleagues (c) New office rules (d) An offer you cannot refuse

Facebookorfacetoface?[1]YourbossinvitesyoutobecomehisfriendonFacebook.Wouldyouaccept?Alternatively,wouldyouinviteyourbosstobecomeyouronlinefriend?Doyoureallywanthimorhertoseeyourwildpartyphotos?Bloggershaverecentlybeendiscussingtheproblemofwhathappenswhenprofessionalandpersonalworldscollide.Somesayitiswisetorejectthebosssofferoffriendship,whileothersthinkrejectingtheofferisasurewayofdecreasingyourchancesofpromotion.Onebossclaimshewouldbehappytoacceptanemployeesofferofonlinefriendship,butwouldneverinitiatethatfriendshiphimself.[2]Evenifyoubelievethatthereisaclearlinebetweenyourworkandprivatelife,thatlineisbecomingmoreblurred.Once,thebossinvitedasubordinatetodinner.Nowadays,therearemoreopportunitiesforoutofworkencounters.Facebookuserscanclassifypeopleindifferentgroups,suchasfriends,relativesandcoworkers,andgiveeachgroupadifferentlevelofaccess.Maybethiscouldbetheanswerifyouwanttomakesurethebossdoesntseethosephotos.

[3]Facebookbeganin2004.ItwasoriginallyasocialsiteforstudentsatHarvardUniversity,butitgrewquicklyandtoday,employsaround500people.In2006,Facebookwasopeneduptoeveryoneandnowadayshasover70millionusersworldwide.14millionphotographsareuploadedeveryday.Thesiteisnotwithoutcontroversy,especiallyconcernsaboutprivacyandidentitytheft.Dousersactuallypostuptoomuchinformationaboutthemselves?[4]Facebookisjustoneexampleofhowtechnologyischangingrelationshipetiquetteintheoffice.TheriseofemailhasledtofewerfacetofacemeetingsandwhilecommunicationbyIM(Instantmessenger)andemailiseffective,ithasbroughtanewsetofproblems.Humourandironydontworkwellinemails.Somepeopleuseemailtoexpressthingstheywouldntdaretosaytoaperson.Therulesofremoteconversation,tobebriefandbusinesslike,areconstantlybeingbroken.Maybeweshouldgobacktousingthetelephonemoretosharpenupourcommunicationskills.No,sorry;theregoesmymobileagain

3 Read the whole article. In what ways is technology changing the office environment?

4 Decide if these words are red (three-star, two-star, one star) or black words in MED.

blogger promotion initiate subordinate collide access (n) controversy etiquette mobile (n) irony

5 Look at the blog posts. In small groups, discuss how you would answer them and report your ideas to the class.

(A)Help!MybosshasinvitedmetobecomehisfriendonFacebook.DoyouthinkIshouldaccept?

(C)IwouldliketoinvitemybosstobemyfriendonFacebook?Isitagoodidea?Iamafraidhemightmisinterpretmyrequest.

(B)Mybossonlyeveremailsme.Ishescaredtodealwithproblemsfacetoface?ShouldIspeaktohimaboutthis?

(D)ShouldIletmystaffuseMSNatwork?Ithinkthattheymaybejustwastingtimecommunicatingwithfriends.

*** Very common words ** Common words *Fairly common words Less common words in black (Macmillan English Dictionary 2nd Ed. 2007)