The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

Privacy on the Internet. Is Big Brother Reading?

The web is a wonderful place.  For me, it has a myriad of uses.  I have an online store, this blog where I can shamelessly plug my online store (and yours too!!  Email me for opportunities!), and I'm about to be syndicated at The Kiddie Clique.  Countless websites and social media sites that I visit daily, weekly and monthly make up a large part of my web activities too. 

It is my opinion though, that to use the web wisely is to understand its inner workings.  I am no expert on this topic, that's for sure.  But I do know enough to know that unless you take steps to protect your identity, no one is anonymous on the web.

Take for example the malicious and unnecessary comment I received when I opened my computer today.  A reader was upset at my recent post on Social Media and proceeded to berate me because of the unkind (but true) words I had about "John", my example of a web-imposter.  Having total control over what gets posted and what doesn't, I deleted the unproductive comment and laughed it off.  Clearly, this commenter has some unresolved issues and a boat-load of time but I digress.  Or do I?  My curiosity getting the better of me, I hit a few links and presto!  Information about this commenter that I'm sure they wish I did not have.  Coming up just short of a name, I have a pretty good idea about the identity of my admirer since we previously shared personal info on a social media site.  So NOW I digress.

The point is, it is getting easier and easier to find information about people online.  You'll know whether or not you want to go on that blind date simply by Googling your date's name.  You can pretty much know everything about him/her short of whether or not you two have the chemistry thing but even then, there's generally a picture lurking somewhere letting you decide before meeting the poor soul if you find your date attractive.  People are building extensive databases about themselves and the information is cached and archived.  It is there forever.

Whether using a real name, a commonly used pseudonym, an email address, IM handle, or IP address, it is probable that too much information is floating around the Net for anyone to find.  The information includes credit card info if you shop online (who doesn't?), personal info (if you have a blog, belong to a social media site or have ever commented anywhere), your achievements (school and work newsletters are often posted online), who you dated (does he/she have a blog, belong to a social media site or have ever commented anywhere?), embarrassing photos and so on.  It also means that even when you are not brave enough to use your real name, you are not as invisible as you think. 

Food for thought.

Social Media - good vs. evil

With the onslaught of social media networks, you'd be hard pressed to find any reasonably technology-savvy person who does not belong to some online group.  The term "social media" is broad enough so as to include any social activity that utilizes technology, either through words, images or audio.  Since almost everything is now interactive, we are engaging in social media even if we don't know it. 

The impact of social media is so wide-spread, it would be impossible to attach a value to it.  It ranges from applications like online dating, which have been known to bring people together, and sometimes even to marriage.  Facebook is the driving force behind old friends re-connecting, I can personally vouch for this.  Internet forums like WebMD and ivillage can be an indispensable resource for people looking for health-related information or personal support via message boards and chat.  Instant Messenger has a distinct place in almost all of our day-to-day lives.  Point is, social media is not some passing trend.  It is ubiquitous and relevant.  But it is not without its flaws.  MySpace has tons of uses, but was unfortunately implicated recently as a factor in the suicide of a young girl.

Not pretending to be an expert on the subject, I am a decent consumer of such technology.  But every day as I log on to Web 2.0, I wonder about exactly who I'm exchanging ideas, information, and opinions with.  With not much more than a handle to reveal ourselves, isn't it possible not everyone is who they seem to be?

My sentiments on this vary from site to site.  An application like Twitter, for example, leaves little to hide behind.  Virtually everybody has a URL that leads somewhere.  Most of the time, it's easy to get a feel for who you are dealing with pretty quickly.  Facebook is similar in the sense that you're not really meeting new people, just connecting with those you already know.  I actually am not a fan of receiving friend requests from strangers on Facebook.  Does this make me a Facebook snob?  Maybe.  But it's how I choose to use this social media application.  And I think I'm not alone.

This post is the direct result of an incident that took place on a message board I was visiting today.  As a longtime member of this community, I can say I've seen enough to have a good knowledge of who the regular posters are.  I sometimes wonder though, if not everyone is who they say they are.  Take for example, "John".  The absolute only male on this message board, "John" has an answer for everything, to everyone, all the time.  He portrays himself as super-man and super-dad, a Julia Child in the kitchen and Casanova in the bedroom.  A single dad, "John" has the house immaculate, the windows washed, fresh bread baking in the oven, and a social calendar that rivals that of Paris Hilton.  Add the fact that he is a stay-at-home-dad with a toddler and no significant other and presto!  We have what's called NON-EXISTENT in the real world.  "John" is the reason I chose to abandon posting on this particular site, since I didn't feel like revealing anything to people I felt were imposters.  Imposters headlining in amateur hour.

Therein lies the problem with social media.  While I continue to take advantage of the platforms I believe are enriching, I'm happy to report that I still keep a few warm-bodied friends that I dust off every so often for a check into reality.  And the fact that they can enjoy a good sushi meal and a glass of wine with me doesn't hurt either.

:)