"Out of the Office" Messages -- Be Careful

I've been reading about people leaving messages on the web that they are out-of-town on vacation or attending a meeting. I used to do it myself when I'd leave an "Out of the Office" message for those who contacted me by email. Evidently this can be a bad idea.

One story I read stated: "Most people wouldn't leave a recording on a home answering machine telling callers they're on vacation for a week, and most people wouldn't let mail or newspapers pile up while they were away. But users of social media think nothing of posting real-time vacation photos on Facebook showing themselves on beaches hundreds of miles from home, or sending out automatic e-mail messages that say, "I'm out of the country for a week."

So I guess the message is that you need to be careful about "broadcasting" that you will be away from your house -- it could lead to unintended consequences. Isn't this sad.