Logging onto Facebook is no quick task. There’s a news feed to read, walls to post on and events to respond to. Then there are notifications, updates and, of course, Facebook chat. But faced with this avalanche of information, I’m just not interested in reading my friends “diaries.”

No one needs to know about your favorite Dollar Menu dessert or growing hatred for a teacher. In an era where colleges and parents form opinions of us partially based on the content we post online, it’s in everyone’s best interest to practice restraint before posting.

If you wouldn’t say it aloud, don’t say it online. This rule should be a no-brainer, yet information oversharing in statuses is a way too highly common Facebook mistake. Maybe users have forgotten, but your wall-to-wall inside jokes pop up on other friends’ feeds. What seems like a “semi-private” conversation could inadvertently be misinterpreted. If you must share something that hilarious with a friend, stick to Facebook chat or send them an inbox message. Or, better yet, call them. Then you don’t have any documented evidence.

We don’t need to know everything about you, always. People have begun to update their statuses so regularly it almost seems like Facebook is turning into — gasp — Twitter. Your friends don’t have to know your every thought, action and location. There’s a limit to how much you should post.

Keep certain photos on your computer, not Facebook. Remember the cliché “a picture is worth a thousand words?”  Sure, everyone likes to see their friends’ homecoming pictures and sports victories, but when pictures of people chugging beers or making out at parties surface, it crosses the line. Though you could choose to avoid looking at the aforementioned distasteful photos, posters beware — what you post online will stay there forever. By only posting appropriate photos you limit possible bad impressions.

Facebook should post a warning on the home page. User discretion advised. Facebook may be a space for sharing, but users need to be aware of when posts turn from interesting personal updates to an overload of information. Photos you once thought were funny can be taken down, but never permanently deleted. Save yourself the embarrassment — don’t post in the first place.