Have a ruined myself on Facebook?

[949]

I don't use Facebook very often, and because it's complicated and always being updated, I'm never fully sure how it works. Anyway, yesterday night on Facebook I said something overly opinionated about something and it made me sound like an arrogant old man.

I didn't realise that if you post within a Facebook group, it counts as a status update unless you have your posts set to "only me". I had no idea of this, and so I found out that some have my friends have seen what I wrote and a couple even replied telling me they were offended. I deleted my post as soon as I saw this (to my horror and embarrassment), but now I worry that they've lost my respect.

I deleted the post, but does that mean it's deleted for them? Will they still see it anyway? Will they spread it around, or continue to judge me? My Mum saw it too and I had an argument with her about it this morning, and she told me that once you make a post, it's eternal and people will spread it to their friends.

So here's the question - have I ruined my reputation on Facebook, or will time heal my foolish mistake? Is the post gone, or has everybody seen it and kept it?

[Piran]

Who cares. FB is for kids, thousands have stopped using it. You need to just ignore it and get a life.

[elizabeth]

Facebook is just a representative of life. You might embarrass yourself one day (and you can remove such posts from your and everybody elses' account), but it is soon forgotten.

I use facebook (I'm adult), but all of my posts are sent to friends only. I can't see any point in sharing everything I do with the world.

[IOM]

Grow up and close your FB account.

[?]

At the end of the day its your opinion man, You feel that way then why should it be different? You have a right to speak, if people are offended just respect them, update a status saying your apologise and that it was a mistake.

It will be forgotten soon facebook has those moments and they blow over, im sure you'll be fine.

You shouldn't feel embarrassed with an opinion, even if people think its wrong they should just move on and respect that opinion.

Also when you delete a post it will be gone of peoples walls and such and wont show up anywhere.

[♥Krissy♥]

Who cares. Your taking FB to seriously.

[Kiz]

As far as I know as soon as it is deleted no one will be able to see it. Only like if they print screened it or something. But on Facebook even if they did try to share it it's and they click on it they'll be nothing to go to cause it's deleted it usually says "this page is no longer available" or something like that.

It'll blow over not everyone is going to like everything anyone says it's the way of life. If you write on group walls your friends will be able to see it even if you commented on a wall post of a like page it sometimes comes up "___ commented on this post" nothing's private unless you make it private. I deleted Facebook a while back cause I had enough of it. Just be careful what you write on there and check settings.