Living in a World of Full Disclosure

Technology is a beautiful thing. I especially hold this sentiment because I work in tech PR. I am privy to many of the world’s best and brightest new gadgets and solutions years before the rest of the world stands in line for them – or pays others to do so - for days at a time. But technology can also blind us to reality with its seductive “popularity contest” allure, seemingly harmless charm and 24-hour-a-day access. No, I’m talking about adult sites – I’m talking about everyday people posting their world online for all to see.

We join online communities and post our names and hobbies at numerous sites. From parenting to professional, hobbyist to enthusiast, people share information online in a way they’ve never had the ability to – or desire to – before. Most of the time it seems harmless. You can post your professional persona at sites like LinkedIn, your vacation photos on Kodak, and your social side at Yahoo! chat rooms or any number of social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and more. What many people don’t realize is that, unlike the offline world, these personalities collide online and anyone can find all sides of you with a simple online search.

Take for example, the recent scandal facing the reigning Miss New Jersey. Although in most reports, the photos lifted from her Facebook site – and allegedly being used to blackmail her – are described as “tame,” she is still facing scrutiny for her “off hours” personality and what it means to those associated with her – most specifically, the “squeaky clean” image of Miss America. The young woman had posted photos of herself and her friends partying and drinking. While the majority of the world has engaged in similar behaviors, in an offline world, it wouldn’t be such common – or more accurately, recorded – knowledge. Nor would it be posted for all to see. Ironically, the young woman calls them “private” yet she posted them online. While many sites like Facebook are password protected, users must realize that they are still at risk for more exposure than they bargained for when posting anything online.

Employers now engage in multiple online searches to find out what candidates are like in “off hours.” Photos, blogs and social networking sites show up in these searches and can often be used to form opinions about a prospect. At my company, we’ve had potential clients look up our employees in this manner to decide if they want to work with our company as whole. This means I now have to pay attention to what my employees are doing in their personal lives – online – and how it could affect our business overall. In an online world of full disclosure, their choices now represent me and my business.

Another example is the recent controversy around the CEO of Whole Foods. As reported, the executive’s blog had some unpleasant comments about the Federal Trade Commission and is now being considered a possible shadow over an attempted business acquisition of Wild Oats Market Inc. While we enjoy free speech in this country, the Internet has caused many new roads to be paved around such speech. When does it cross the line, how do you police it and who determines what online behavior crosses over to offline rules?

This is the generation of full disclosure. Just about anything can be conducted online but that doesn’t necessarily mean it should be. Remember to keep private things private and that maybe posting everything online – password protected or not – isn’t always the best idea. Be especially careful with business and family matters, and be prepared that anything you put online could someday land in the wrong hands. If you are comfortable with that, then the Internet is a wonderful tool. If you are not, maybe go the old school route and take up scrapbooking for all those private photos, and a good old-fashioned diary for those deepest personal opinions and thoughts.