Online personal history

I love the way the internet brings people together. I’ve often heard that the internet and computers divide us and make us lonelier, but this has not been my personal experience and it’s a topic that deserves its own article (or, PhD study). It is true, however, that the internet has changed the way our interactions are recorded; instead of hearsay, we now have Google and Facebook to record every step we take and every rule we break.


Machine and man

I think there are two categories that we can divide issues with online history in: machine traceable and human traceable. By machine traceable, I mean our history as it is used by automated processes to decide how to interact with us. Think of Google using our search term to provide advertisements. By human traceable I mean content that can be used by people to form an opinion of you. Think of reactions on a newspaper article with your name in it. Or a blog.

Personally, I don’t see any problems with being followed by machines. I’m not comfortable with having my e-mails read, because I use that service understanding that that’s not supposed to happen. But when I’m using Facebook I’m fully aware that I’m using someone else’s resources – free of charge – and that they can sort of do with my input what they want. Even if what they do with my input isn’t legal (which doesn’t mean wrong per se, but that’s a topic that deserves its own article (or, PhD study)) Facebook has privacy too and so there’s little chance I’m going to find out if my penis length has been sold to Viagracom. Euh, not that I share any such info.

But this article isn’t really about the automated hey-give-me-advertisements-of-what-I-want-and-not-viagra kind of personal history abuse. This article is about the history that you leave on the internet for other people.

Recorded history

In the not-that-recent riots in Vancouver, people posted their swag on their Facebook accounts. Their public Facebook accounts. This was a big joke to websites like memebase, but the reality is that these kids are now forever the kids who stole stuff and put it on Facebook. If future employers Google for Eve Mallory they’re going to find out all about that stolen Prada bag. Not pretty.

I’m certainly not spotless myself. There is some of my history at university, there’s some of my articles at the Crowd Surfing blog and there are my linkedIn and Facebook accounts. But there are also some political articles I wrote that I’m fine with, but that I would rather not be confronted with during an interview.

Looking back I understand myself from back then posting those articles, so I don’t regret it. But it’s inconvenient for now-me. I hope my blog will kick everything else down once I start to market it a bit, because I just don’t want to be confronted with my personal life when I’m visiting my professional life.

I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with services you can use freely. If you want to post everything you’re busy with, then that’s you prerogative. But especially when you’re a bit younger, please be careful and considerate in what you post and why you’re posting it. Is it really that public? Would you like to be confronted with it by strangers?

How I use social media

For now-me, social media are not a way to connect with new people, but with friends. I’m forgetful and busy and so I find it very convenient to have my social life sort of laid out before me. I get notified of all the maintenance stuff and get left with the touchy-feely-connection stuff that we all look for in friendships. Great!

But I’ve closed my Facebook account as much as I think possible. It’s not for the world, it’s for my friends. I’m not ashamed or embarrassed by what’s up there, but it’s private and I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want no interviewer to ask me where I parked my car.