Thanks to Facebook, we can feel really loved on our birthdays. Especially when the cousin of your neighbor's ex-girlfriend that you met at a Halloween Party five years ago wishes you a happy one.
With June being a popular birthday month in the office, birthday Facebook netiquette has become a popular topic. Do you have to respond to every well-wisher?
The short answer: Don't worry. The general consensus is that people don't expect a reply when they send a short message.
But if someone takes the time to make an extra personalized greeting -- whether it's sending a virtual gift or attaching a longer note -- then you should reply within three days.
It's best to send a personal message on the person's wall or as a private message to his or her in-box. Don't reply as a comment attached to that person's original birthday greeting -- it's just a safe way to avoid drama and hurting the feelings of someone you didn't respond to.
It's true that most people who send you a message only know it is your birthday because Facebook told them so. But it's still a nice gesture -- even if it only took five seconds for them to type it.
On a busy day, many people don't have time to type more than a few words to wish someone a happy birthday. But there are ways you can put in a little more effort to make a more memorable message without spending hours crafting greeting card poems.
For example, a colleague likes to attach a link to an existing YouTube video as part of the birthday greeting -- either something that is birthday related or something that represents an inside joke.
