When you're a cop, it's understood that you have to hold yourself up to a certain professional standard. But police officers are people too, and are just as likely to stuff up.

One officer from South Carolina, for example, has been given the sack for allowing photos of car wash bikini girls, who were 'draped' on her official police cruiser, to be uploaded to Facebook.

It appears the car wash, staged by the local tattoo parlour, was in support of charity, but according to the police department, the officer's conduct was in violation of departmental policy.

So the lesson is - use your own vehicle instead.

Picture: Facebook

Rule 1 is that the customer is always right. Rule 2 is that if the customer is ever wrong, you must re-read rule 1.

Rule 3 is if the customer criticises your business on Twitter, you are NOT to go on an angry rampage by emailing the individuals' boss (who incidentally nothing to do with the tweet in question), in order to have the person fired.

Yet, this is exactly what a PR representative at US store Price Chopper did, after a customer tweeted their dislike of the store, and their preference for competitor Wegmans.

While the rep in question hasn't yet, and may not be sacked, plenty of Twitter users are calling for blood.

Picture: Twitter

Farmville seems to fall into one of those grey areas. Some businesses frown on it, usually due to the well-documented fact that it devours productivity like a Labrador devours... well, anything.

But some people have entered into special deals with their bosses when it comes to Farmville - like trading 10 cabbages (or equivalent) to play it at work.

Drop your end of the bargain at your own peril. There's no anger like that of a farmer-boss scorned.

Picture: Flickr user sabrina.dent and Zygna

We admit, this one can be pretty easy to fall victim to. Venting your spleen on Twitter is one of the reasons it's so great.

The only problem is that once your rant is out there, it's very difficult to get it back.

It only takes one "retweet" before those mean things you said about your boss/spouse/client/hairdresser's dog are forever outside your control. Think twice before you post.

Picture: News.com.au

Another obvious one! But still, people get tripped up by it.

Sure, you're entitled to a life outside work, and you can pursue your hobby as an amateur social media babe or hunk if you wish.

But if you're, say, a school teacher, risque home videos or photos might not be such a great thing to share with the world.

Picture: YouTube

Email can be fun and all, and everyone "lieks" the occasional silly one - but there's a fine line between hijinks and spam.

Sending out too many LOLcats, or any other internet meme or chain mail, can quickly start to grate the stressed-out colleagues you want to cheer up.

Overdo it and your boss may decide to enforce the "no fun email" rule. And that would suck. You have been warned.

Picture: icanhascheezburger.com / Microsoft

Oops!

Now, most of the time this will be an accident. You pick up a virus from home or another computer, transfer it to your USB stick and then use that stick at work - bringing the whole network crashing down around you and the IT department crashing down on your head.

Of course, there are also cases of disgruntled employees planting viruses on purpose. But it's usually pretty obvious when that happens, and if you hadn't been fired beforehand you certainly would be afterwards.

Picture: Microsoft

Most people think Facebook is more private than Twitter. Sometimes they're right, but usually they're wrong.

First, your profile might be open to curious strangers if you haven't set up your privacy settings the right way.

Second, you might have added your boss or one of his or her confidants as a Friend and not remember doing so.

Third, people can take screenshots. And then you're f*****.

Picture: Facebook