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The perils of online communication
By Meg | June 27, 2007
The internet is a powerful vehicle for the dissemination of words and ideas. However, many people - especially those new to the internet - forget how powerful it truly is. It is all too easy to write something and hit the “submit” button (or “publish” or “send email”). What isn’t easy, and is in fact usually impossible, is to take it back. Thanks to page caching, older versions of web pages are available long after they’ve been updated. Add to that the fact that while many forums seem like an intimate discussion among friends, they are usually often to public browsing and search.
Why does it matter? For starters, some companies do search the internet for information about current and prospective employees. Even if it isn’t done officially, there is often enough someone there googling away for dirt on co-workers. Even between family and friends, curiosity can lead to a bit of online spying. If someone googled you, what would they find? Do you want the whole world to know your interests or beliefs? Do you want your future employer to know that you can’t spell? Even if you’re o.k. with what you are writing now, how will you feel decades from now?
While you should always assume that what you write could become public, choose your medium carefully. Private, one-on-one communication, is best kept to email or instant messaging - or even to a phone call if you know the person in real life. When choosing forums, take into consideration whether the forum is open browsable or searchable by non-members. Just because you have to sign-in to post does not necessarily mean that you or others have to sign-in to read. If you have a web site of your own, consider making members-only sections.
Using fake names is not always enough protection. If you use them long enough or in enough places, it is possible that someone can draw a pretty good picture of who you are. That’s why it is important to use a variety of different online names. If you do use your real name, like I do here, consider using only your first name and make extra sure that you watch what you write in terms of both content and presentation.
Although I’ve been a bit shy about handing out my URL to friends and family, I have a rule of thumb that I follow when I blog: I always assume that my mom is going to read what I write. Good thing! As of this week, my mom is reading and she has informed me that she took the time to read everything I’ve posted so far. The verdict? She said that she’s very proud of me. Thanks Mom and I’ll do my best to keep it that way!
Now to all my readers, do you have any rules for yourself when submitting text online?
Tags: Impressions, Writing
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November 25th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I can only say I so much agree with you here! ^^