One of the most damaging ways for you to ruin your professional life is to have a less than stellar portrayal of yourself through your online photo albums. In a recent study, it was found that over 75 percent of Facebook photos for British people are of them highly intoxicated. While there hasn’t been a similar study for Americans, one can bet that the statistics are just as similar as the language we share.

There is a popular saying that anything that you post online is not a secret from the world. As seen by the recent hacking of Mark Zuckerberg’s personal photos, there is no such thing as guaranteed security on the social network. And this is especially true in the world of corporate culture. The only way to make sure inappropriate images are not seen by your boss, potential employers, or possible love interests is to simply not be on the website.

But suggesting that you take yourself off of Faceboook is almost like saying that abstinence only education actually works. There is a greater need to be connected than ever in our society and social networking is the best way to meet new people and stay in touch. According to a report by the marketing research company Zoomerang, the best way to improve employee morale and boost work productivity is to engage with workers on Facebook. By eliminating yourself from the entire network, you are taking yourself out of workplace culture in an alienating fashion.

In order to stay on Facebook and retain a positive reputation, you are going to need to adjust your security settings and hope for the best. Because it is such an integral part of our lives, you are playing a crap shoot every time you go out to a bar, party, or even political event. This is a great opportunity for you to analyze and rethink the kind of lifestyle you are living. If you are fine with all of the indiscretions you have going for you, then you should make no apology for the photos on your Facebook profile.

While Facebook is still the most convenient system for the online storage of your photos, there are several other social networks to post your more controversial photos on. Very few people check Flickr anymore and sites like Photobucket are more secure and private than other social networking services.

You shouldn’t have to take yourself off of Facebook if you are looking for a job or trying to get a better position within your company. The limits of free speech have been changed with the introduction of the network and you are still guaranteed the same freedom as those who work above you. Just make sure to exercise caution and take responsibility for what you say online, just as in real life.