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Every now and then, I'm reminded of the Internet's power to really screw things up.
As I go about my normal day as a technology journalist, half of the stories I catch across the wire are usually something related to the unfolding social landscape of the Web 2.0. Google's catching Facebook; Facebook's catching Google; Someone is making a new way to interact with Twitter (oh joy!) I find this relatively disinteresting, save for the fact that each new announcement heralds in just one more way by which every action in our lives is transforming into an accessible, traceable record for all to see.
In a sense, we are becoming our own conduits for open data. Every word we type--based on the general amalgam of thoughts we have during the day--is free for the taking, sharing, and eventual manipulation by anyone who has access to where we disseminate our thoughts. Be it a tweet, a status update, a blog, or an email, each crack in the wall of privacy surrounding our daily lives is just one more step toward a presumed future where nothing, indeed, is sacred to the self. We'll know what we like, we'll know what we spend our money on, and we'll know what really hacks us off.
This concept's nothing new. However, in regards to the final example in that list, I was recently reminded of just how transparent our lives have become online--perhaps even without us really realizing it. Like the anecdote of a frog a-bubblin' in a pot, I think that our gradual acceptance of the openness of our various online communities has caused us to forget some of the most basic rules for communicating in a world in which everybody can read and participate: namely, shut the heck up.
A friend of mine from Northwestern University--and former co-editor for the ol' college weekly paper--recently landed in a bit of heat related to comments he tossed out on a general (albeit decently private) listserv for Washington D.C. journalists and other like-minded political folk. David Weigel, a now-former blogger for the Washington Post, had his emails to said semi-private listserv disseminated throughout cyberspace by two particular websites: FishbowlDC, a kind-of Valleywag for DC journos, and Tucker Carlson's The Daily Caller.
So what's the problem? Well, Weigel--like a significant portion of those who cover any topic for any media outlet under the sun--doesn't like stupid people. That's my take on it, at least. Unfortunately, and I say this without any political investment whatsoever, a number of the subjects he previously covered as the paper's former blogger for the right-wing movement were one of two things: stupid, or highly prone to doing stupid things.
I would, of course, expect Weigel to do nothing but offer his insightful sarcasm during situations like these. Unfortunately for him, he did so in a way such that his written words were attached to his written name and, through the help of a diligent reporter scouring the archives of said email list for weigel's messages, made available for anyone on the Internet to read.
I know David Weigel; he's a smart guy. He's no luddite, but I fear that he, too, has become just one more victim of the, "I forgot what the Internet can do" phenomenon--the inflated sense of invulnerability that comes when one's given access to an online social hub.
I'm probably just as guilty as Weigel, what, with my incessant need to offer inane commentary on Maximum PC's Apple stories. But in all seriousness, watching what one writes online is a tough prospect--especially for a writer. I've always been one to celebrate letting one's life fly unrestrained throughout any and all digital meeting grounds. To me, self-censorship defeats the entire selling point of a social network.
That said, perhaps I--and all of us--should be a bit more careful about how much we open our lives up on the Internet. This isn't just some, "get off my lawn" argument from someone who understands nothing about technology. With huge, technological entities making it easier and easier for everything we do to be disseminated across the Web, at what point does the compelling need to connect to one's peers outweigh self-preservation? How can we justify being but one button push away from social or professional ostracism?
And, worse, how am I ever going to delete all of my old "Da Apple Rulez #1" listserv emails?
David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. He does not currently own any Apple devices (don't worry).
Comments are closed on this article
meat67
July 01, 2010 at 1:21am
When I first joined Facebook last December, I saw I had been tagged in a photo by an old friend. It was a picture taken more than 20 years ago, way before digital cameras, that my friend had scanned and posted. It was me and my brother comparing our asses (not naked, but in shorts) trying to figure out who's was sexiest. What are you going to do?
What drives me nuts is when stuff that has nothing to do with someone's job is used to discredit them. I don't care that ex-president Clinton might have smoked pot or ex-president Bush might have snorted cocaine. Really, it's not important. I do care that they should both be in jail for war-crimes. Again, what are you going to do?
johnm1971
June 28, 2010 at 5:54pm
It seems very simple to me, Murph. Just don't make any statements or exhibit any behavior online that you wouldn't make or exhibit in "real life". In other words, think before you type!
essjay22
June 29, 2010 at 5:03pm
Would that it were that simple. That would be like playing chess against 2 million ppl every single moment of your day. You up for that kind of paralyzing thought? Me either.How can we know when someone will twist, misunderstand or just downright maliciously missinterpret our words? It is tough to strike a balance in this way too connected world we have wrought.Yes, It is already too late.
I Jedi
June 28, 2010 at 6:38pm
Implying that people think about their actions more than half the time.
Mighty BOB!
June 28, 2010 at 7:43pm
Yeah the people who this affects the most are not well known for their brilliance and foresight. Like posting about how your boss/teacher sucks when he's one of your facebook friends.
Mark17
June 28, 2010 at 2:06pm
It's unfortunate that things happen to people simply because of a comment they made on the Internet at some point in time. It seems it doesn't even occur to many people that anything they say on the Internet will be there forever. For example: when someone makes a post on twitter, how many people actually sit there and think, "Will this post come back to haunt me five years from now?" I would say probably almost nobody.
Maybe people should have to read and accept something like the Miranda Rights before they can do anything on the Internet.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can or will be used against you (and probably be taken out of context) in the court of teh Internets. If you say something stupid on the Internet that you later regret, too bad. You should have shut the heck up when you had the chance. Do you understand these rights?"
imagonex
June 28, 2010 at 11:52am
Great article! Agree. Unfortunately, those that should be reading this article aren't the ones reading it.
The internet's a bit like Vegas: What happens online, stays online...and...unfortunately, spreads online. Where it differs from Las Vegas is that it doesn't stay in Vegas. It goes out for the world to see.
Add gossip behaviour to the internet and it gets even worse. For example, The Murph could write some off-hand comment about some anecdote and...next thing you know he's a pornstar living in a mansion on top of K2 with a white persian cat, 12 latex clad body builders and building (him, not the cat) a mind-controlling lazer he controls with his iPhone4 while having lunch with Steve Jobs in his secret lair.
Okay, I know, sounds far fetch. He'd probably have an evil goldfish, not a cat! Ha! Ha!
imagonex
June 28, 2010 at 4:27pm
OH NO!! Tell Colbert I love him and I shall sacrifice two goldfishes in his name. Make that a tri-fin and one of those big japanese carp thingies, no make that two. Colbert deserves the best.
Now, I shall go hide in my room in shame.
XXOO for Colbert.
PawBear
June 28, 2010 at 9:17am
Flippancy in life is foolishness; flippancy online, on television, on radio, can be a deathknell. We're no longer dealing with people one-on-one. We're potentialy dealing with people in the millions in "soundbites". We'd better be prepared to defend our every word or action. The public is watching and judging.
Man, that's serious. Really, want to get to know a person really well, use the internet. Murph, I feel like I already know you, maybe better than I want too. Ha.
*** "Either we conform the Truth to our desires or we conform our desires to the Truth." ***
BuLLg0d
June 28, 2010 at 7:05am
I teach classes on this very issue. My favorite thing to do is have everyone log in and ask them to Google themselves.
I use an online persona here , post what I feel like but refrain from the stupidities of curse words or arguments I wouldn't have in the open in front of my boss/peers.
Oh, and one good place to find archived articles that you think are dead because they don't show up in Google is http://www.archive.org/web/web.php
Apple still sucks!
Oh, and for the record Murph, I enjoy the cases you make for technology and spreading technology to a larger audience. I'm just a fighter in a very old war. Also, posts after an article are a good thing, they stir debate and allows readers to see the opinions of the readership, not just the journalists. Articles including curses or calling people stupid excluded. Keep doing what your doing.
TheMurph
June 28, 2010 at 8:33am
Fair enough! I think our discourse about the merits of hating Apple has been respectful and interesting, to say the least! : )
lunchbox73
June 28, 2010 at 6:43am
The other day I got to thinking of future politicians who are in their teens now. Think of how current candidate's lives are put under microscopes by the media and enemies. They search for any little quote or picture to make the person look bad.
Think of how easy it will to dig up dirt on the facebook generation. "Congressman Smith, isn't it true that in June of 2010 you posted 'Ima smoke a huuuge bowl and watch sum midget porn. Summer vacation rulez!' on Facebook?"
TheMurph
June 28, 2010 at 8:34am
I mean, that's essentially what it's come down to. It's why I let MPC folk follow my twitter all they want (feh), but tend to shy away from opening up the entirety of my personal life to everyone via Facebook. I can just see it now:
"David Murphy is updating Facebook from his awesome new phone, the 10-out-of-10 APPLE IPHONE 4 WHOOOOOOO"
UndeniablyPC
June 28, 2010 at 6:35am
See this is what happens when you let everyone on the internet. They get stupid. Real stupid. See people that have been around computers for a bit, understand how deceptive and risky the computer can be. And now with all these social networks, it has gone even farther. If everyone really understood the nature of the internet, they would come to realize that once they post a picture, blog or any manner of too on any site, it pretty much forever stays in the public domain. Also, I wish people would understand the true nature of Facebook and Myspace. These services are designed for the sole purpose of capitilization. These companies make billions off of information that people freely provide, so in other words they are basically stealing. These social networks are like those surveys that they used to give you in the mall and tell you they will give you something free in return. Well, they took that idea and they basically multiplied it by about a billion. So as all these Facebookers populate their page they take all that information and sell it to advertisers and the like. Now if we were all smart enough to understand these concepts, which I am sure most of the readers of MaximumPC are, we would know that the internet is great for getting your point across whilst staying anonymous. Now, if your reading this and still think that Facebook is great, realize that a pretty big ass (last name Zuckerberg) has the capability to search your entire facebook account at anytime he wishes, along with his friends, and pretty much anyone he so deems priviledged.
I Jedi
June 28, 2010 at 6:30am
I must admit, Murphy, that this article you have made is indeed interesting. A bit long in getting to the point, but you definitely developed clear details to your final point. Anyway, I happen to agree with you that as the Internet grows, we must all work to be more transparent in how we display ourselves online. Reading through your article, I could not help but think about the famous 4Chan, and how its posters can remain anonymous, if they so choose so, to post their thoughts, feelings, and ideas on any matter they wish to discuss with the outside world. I believe 4Chan, even if it is filled with nuts, is an example of how to protect one’s privacy online without any repercussions for speaking one’s mind.
As time moves forward, I think more and more debate about how people should be protected on the Internet will come into light. I believe protecting people’s privacy online is an important thing; however, I am also someone who believes that it is important that everyone who uses the Internet be properly educated about the risk associated with revealing who you are online. Some ways of revealing yourself that come to mind are MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Heck, posting here on MaximumPC gives me an identity. Sure, I may not have my real name plastered, but for those who regularly post here on MaximumPC, a lot will often see that I, too, comment on a great many articles; therefore, I have even created an identity for myself, and everyone has formed opinions about me: I Jedi
To hit home, the Internet is a magnificent tool, and one that should be respected for what it is and can do. Once whatever you post is online, there is no guarantee it will ever disappear from the Internet, as anyone can save it to their hard-drive, and so it will forever be in existence in some form or another. My point, before posting something controversial/selective, be sure that you are willing to face the consequences and rebuttal that may come from saying such things. 95% of the time nothing will happen, but that 5% chance is all you need to get slammed by somebody out there, such as Murphy’s friend.
Rocketpop
June 28, 2010 at 5:49am
This article doesn't address anything new, but it does emphasize the point. Ultimately, the best people can do is tell these social networking sites and blogs and everything to make their stuff private. It's usually not a default option and has to be switched, and virtually everyone doesn't feel it's important enough to change. It's only when we read about stories like this or are hit with the consequences ourselves that we realize it's sort of necessary.
Another big problem with social networking sites is that *other* people say stuff about us, and that information is often more easily accessible than our own, even if we turn our privacy options on. There's nothing we can do about that, and it can be just as destructive as our own pages being made public. Really, the best thing to do is to not participate in any of it.
ske1eter
June 28, 2010 at 4:29am
The one difference is that Weigel was purported to be unbiased, which was an obvious farce. Maximum PC (duh, it's in the name) makes no bones about being on the side of the PC rather than Mac/Apple.
TheMurph
June 28, 2010 at 8:36am
Purported to be unbiased? By... virtue of being a blogger? I'm not quite sure I follow.
As well, if Maximum PC is "on the side of the PC," shouldn't the iPhone 4 be getting a review of 4/10 instead of 8/10? MPC reviewers don't do so under any kind of bias--that would be unfair to all involved.
Fefe
June 28, 2010 at 2:12am
Very true. The online community can be so brutal and easily pass judements on what others say or share. Ruining them, or benefiting them. Everyone nowadays is so open with sharing info on the web! Lol, facebook is defninitely a huge one, I try not to get so invloved with sharing every little thing I do on there...while other's treat it like it's their bff. I've known a few people have their jobs and school jeopardized by comments/posts. Pretty ridiculous.
