The Mixed Blessing of the Internet

By R. David Silva

Protecting Privacy

The Internet has changed the way we are performing many things.  It has simplified many tasks as well as saving a lot of time in performing those tasks.  Getting a map, making a bank transfer and buying a stock are just a few of the great conveniences offered by the Internet and the companies that utilize it.  But there is another side to the Internet that one should be careful in using.  A social networking web site, such as a Facebook and / or a Twitter, is used to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances.  However, they may not be the only ones looking at your web postings.

Comments about yourself and your friends, pictures that are not flattering and your personal views on many subjects that you post on Internet sites have a long life, far beyond the moment in which you make them available. Searches of the Internet by prospective employers could and probably will discover whatever social history you have posted on the web. In addition comments about you by your friends and coworkers will also probably be discovered when searching your name on the Internet. 

Protecting privacy means controlling what you put up and knowing what others are web posting about you. This will help insure that you can set the record straight during the job interviewing process, whether for a new hire or a promotion.  Be cautious about what picture of yourself that you portray to the World Wide Web, which does not respect your privacy.

Any topics that you wish to be discussed in this column? Please contact me at: silva@4fashionadvice.com

Confessions of an Introvert

R. David Silva

 Business Editor