1. Assume everything on the internet is public, that is potentially and assumed to be seen by everybody else in the world. Therefore:
(a) Do not do anything on the internet that you do not want other people to know about.
(b) Do not write or say anything on the internet that you do not want other people to find out about.
(c) Including e-mail, finances, professional, and social information.
2. Your face is seen by anybody walking by on the street. Why not those you come into contact with on the internet? Therefore:
(a) Why bother making information or images private on social networking sites?
(b) Why bother ‘untagging’ images of youself on social networking sites?
3. Assume that people who have found you online are there to see you in your domain. Regardless of whether you have ‘friended’ that person, or they have ‘friended’ you, assume that they are looking at your information because they want to. Therefore:
(a) Self censorship has no place in this, for if they are the seekers, then you are the sought- they are finding out about you on your terms.
(b) I have no B for this, but I want all three sections to look equal.
I totally agree. I also hate when people obsessively restrict their profiles, complain about old peers adding them on Facebook (who gives a shit?) or change their Facebook name so that people can’t find them. Things will leak someway, somehow! Besides, what makes their information so much more important to protect than anything you or I put online?
Oh right! I’m sorry, I just totally forgot that the internet is SERIOUS BUSINESS.
(My only addendum to this would be teachers, who should definitely restrict their profiles in an effort to not be totally weird and social-network their students. Because that is gross).
