I didn’t always enjoy social media. Before I spent time on the various networks I assumed that interactions there were at best, shallow, with little or no real-world value. I’d formed my opinions by listening to the comments and complaints of others.

It wasn’t until I actually took time to interact online that I discovered there were lots of things of value being shared. The people I’ve met and the skills I’ve learned through online connections have added so much to my life—professionally and personally.

Unfortunately, I’ve also run across my fair share of time-wasting interactions. These have run the gamut of spam sales notices to misleading articles. But even these experiences have been, in a strange way, valuable. They’ve helped me develop my own set of guidelines to keep me from adding to the worthless noise that clutters up our digital universe.

I think of these things as a series of filters that help me keep out any junk that might otherwise slip through. I call it my T. H. I. N. K. before you share online system.

Here’s how it works:

T – Transparent. I want to be transparent in all that I do. I don’t want people who interact with me online—through social media or my blogs—to feel like I have a hidden agenda.

H – Honest. I don’t even want to mislead anyone on purpose with something I share. That means I need to do my homework and make sure what I’m passing on is true. In addition, don’t want to build myself up as something I’m not, or present myself in a way that isn’t true.

I –  Inspiring. I want the things I share online to inspire others. I don’t mean I have to be the inspiration, but I want to challenge us all to do more than we ever thought we could.

N – Nice. This poor little word is, in my opinion, under-utilized. I would like to see it regain some of it’s strength. There’s a lot to be said for being nice. And I try to hold to that standard with every single thing I post online. I can say this for certain, out of all the things in life I’ve regretted, being nice has never been one of them.

K – Knowledge. I want to make sure I’m sharing actual knowledge online, not just noise. This means what I share needs to be helpful in some way.

This filter hasn’t watered down my online message.

Quite the contrary. My online focus is stronger because I take care to filter it. I can still share things that may be tough, I can teach others to do what I’ve done, and I can introduce my online connections to people and things I find valuable.

Now it’s your turn. How do you decide what to share online? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.