Facebook, Privacy, and Common Sense

Awhile ago, a friend talked me into getting my own Facebook account when I mentioned that looking at my 17 year old niece's My Space account felt like hanging around a schoolyard. Sure, Facebook is a bit more grown up, but it is still geared toward the younger, Web 2.0 hip crowd in their 20s. The next step up from a hot singles bar. Again, not a scene that I was particularly interested in getting involved in, though to give it the old college try, I did check out some other friend's Facebooks.

What I found was a dizzying array of strange little surveys, odd games of cyber tag (Vampires) and innumerable pictures of friends, or pictures posted by friends usually of the host in some type of compromising position (drunk, passed out, drinking, undressed...all of the above). Sure, it all looks like fun and games and that everyone is living out one big extended frat party for everyone to see and enjoy.

My question is, do you really want your life to be portrayed in this way to the world. Sure its fun to party and get goofy and do foolish things that you may regret later in more sober moments. But aren't those types of memories best left to reminiscing with old friends in the privacy of your living room? As opposed to say sitting in front of an interviewer for that big grown-up type job that you are yearning for.

The fact is that employers and others with a vested interest in finding out more about the moral fiber and personal responsibility of their applicant are all surfing the net as well. This type of background check is becoming increasingly common and before long will pretty much be standard operating procedure for the interview process.

Your resume may be all sparkling clean and proper, glittering with good schools, recommendations and experience, but when that gets paired with those pictures of you downing jello shots with your underwear on your head, well, the glitter on the old resume kind of flakes off.

I read today of a 27-year old special ed teacher in Florida who is now in trouble because parents found his Facebook page that states "I'm 27 years old and horny as hell" and that he is " an A+++ in bed". While certainly commendable in some circles, I doubt seriously that the PTA is one.

I think that the main truth that may emerge from the Web 2.0 social networking movement is that NOTHING DIES ON THE INTERNET. Once it is out there, it is out there forever. Oh sure there are companies that will do a purge of all your unwanted internet data, for a hefty fee, but maybe there is another, cheaper alternative that could do the trick. A little something called "Personal Responsibility."

If you don't post those underwear-headgear-jello-shot photos in the first place, then they won't come back and haunt you later. Basically, just because you can, doesn't mean that you should.