When a person sits in the privacy of their room, sipping their drink, having their feet up relaxing, there is the sense of anonimity and quietness and enjoying being alone. The only problem with that scenario, is that you are with an untold number of people as you put your various private thoughts and photos onto the Internet, alongside of your photo.
In a well-known online story of Josh Santangelo, it describes the potential problems that can arise from bearing everything on the web. He says one of his great fears from his experience is that those who are MySpacing, YouTubing, Facebooking masses -- the bloggers and vloggers (video bloggers) who fail to realize that there is no such thing as an eraser on the Internet. "I see people do that sort of thing now, and I think: 'Oh man, that could come back and bite you."'
Not only can you put things up, but there are many others who can find what it is you're showing and talking about, and link to it, showing everyone that they have contact with what it is you're saying and doing. Not only is this dangerous through the many predators and stalkers out there, but for those who think what you talk about is harmless, think about the countless companies seeking information about you if you are seeking employment with them. The Internet is now the place to get up-to-date and past information concerning everything about you; including what you have posted.
You must keep in mind the consequences of what you may put online though. Now people in HR, bosses and headhunters are Googling people to find out things that aren't legal to ask in an interview. You need to know that the days of discriminations laws is basically over. Oh, the laws will remain on the books, but their use is no longer relevant in light of the Internet search age. For a small fee, everything that someone wants to know about you will be found.
So simply keep in mind the long-term consequences of what you put online. Someone will eventually find what and where it is. Once someone does, there is nothing you can do to erase it. You may be able to erase your entry, but if someone grabs it and puts it somewhere else, it is forever out of your control.
When you're sitting in the privacy of your home or room, don't let the individual space you're in, deceive you into thinking that you're alone; you no longer are, you're with potentially millions of people at any one time.
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