After a lengthy cocktail-conversation-debate with friends about expectations of privacy in the social media space, my brain cells started churning and pondering individual's levels of tolerance for varying levels of transparency and privacy. With social media folks like me pushing clients and friends alike to "have an online presence," I worry that some have rushed in without considering how they are portraying themselves online.
Think about it this way: when we go on a job interview or pitch a client, we convey an image. We choose a suit, polish our shoes, make sure our hairstyle is kemp and updated. We make sure our laptop case looks respectable and that our phone don't pop up with any personal photos. We structure our message to target our audience's key needs and concerns. We don't use profanity, and even if we were cut off in traffic and flipped off on the way there, we aren't unprofessional enough to let that show.
So with clients and employers Googling prospective employees day and night, are we giving enough care and thought to our online image?
Next, Jim Stodgill muses in his Radar O'Reilly review of the latest HOPE convention that we happily post a plethora of personal information online that the paranoid might fear The Man getting his hands on in other circumstances. He cites speaker Steve Rambam's comments:
Over and over he expressed disbelief at how willingly we post ourpersonal details everywhere from Twitter to Facebook while thanking usall the while for making his job as a private investigator that mucheasier. What the marketers and government don't actively take, weactively give. Naturally I twittered the whole thing.
How much about our personality and personal business is appropriate to reveal online? What do your Facebook, Twitter and Flickr accounts say about you? After reading this, I took a look at my own accounts with fresh eyes.
Personally, I'm not worried about PI's tracking me down. Even without all the social media accounts, my blog and photo come up #1 when you Google "heidi miller." I'm pretty easy to find to begin with. If Mr. Rambam ever needed to find me, he could pocket the money and go out for a nice stroll and a latte. So what online image is the Heidi Miller brand portraying here?
Sure, the site , podcast page and blog are reasonably professional. All suits, all business, all the time. However, in Facebook and Flickr, I let my personality show. Yes, you can see that I'm a fan of Joss Whedon's work and that I went to the local Renaissance Faire a few weekends back. You can find out how I love my iPhone and how frustrated I get with Skype. To me, this is all part of the online transparency of it all, and it also gives me a chance to connect with others I might not meet otherwise due to common interests.
Lee Hopkins is a great example of this as well. Sure, this energetic Australian Social Media bunny has his professional site, but take a look at his blog--his wacky sense of humor comes through in post after post and offbeat 50s image after offbeat 50s image. That is, after all, the point of social media, right? How can you connect with others in the community if you're not willing to be your own passionate self?
Then, Sarah Perez reviewed the new Facebook interface for the excellent ReadWriteWeb, with the observations that some users were becoming more circumspect with their friend choices and overall use:
As the college kids move into the real world, the social network needsto reflect their changing needs in order to stay relevant while stillappealing to the next generation of users, too... Forthe Gen Y workforce, getting the point across that their set of socialmedia tools can be the new way to get things done, it helps whenprofiles aren't filled with pointless, time-wasting apps that don'tjust fill your screen but also spam you and your friends with theirnotifications.
Everyone, even the young Gen Y'ers (born after 1977, in case you were wondering), is becoming more conscious of privacy and image while still wanting to make full use of the power of social media for making connections and building community. And now, some are editing personal information not just for privacy's sake but to more appropriately reflect the online image they want to portray. As Web 2.0 becomes more and more social, we are seeing more and more of a balancing act between privacy and transparency, image and honesty. We can be honest and transparent and still not reveal anything to a private investigator that wouldn't be appropriate for a potential employer or client to know. We can still maintain a level of privacy while still actively, honestly and transparently participating in online communities.
