Thread March 3, 2012 editorial: comments

Dear Fellow Audiofanziners,

From time to time I get a cease and desist message from someone’s manager or attorney pointing to a forum thread containing his client's name asking me pretty-please-get-cracking to delete the thread as it is damaging to their client's reputation.  Most of the time, the thread dates a few years back to when the user was just a struggling musician looking to network, and he posted some information that he should not have, or spoke in manner unbecoming of  a current ‘rising artist’.  Now needing to clean up his digital footprint and reputation in general , the manager is left with the dirty job of contacting every site that Google coughs up with his client’s name, referring to a less than glorious past.  Ok so in most cases I edit the post to delete any personal info, which I think is a good chttp://www.careerrocketeer.com/wp-content/uploads/Digital-Footprint.pngompromise.

This issue is nothing new and we all struggle with finding a balance between enjoying the benefits of social media networks and protecting our privacy.  My position is that don’t say/post info that you may not be comfortable with in due time.  But also don’t grow paranoid and become a social media network rejecter.  I always raise an eyebrow when I meet those who refuse to subscribe to any social media, so it is almost impossible to reach them.  At the end of the day I am just Chater-La.  I won’t be running for president any time soon.  I am not so important, and there will not be any paparazzi at my door any time soon.  So if the internet world knows that I like to hike and dive (and now so do you), and I get advertised hiking/diving related products, what do I care?  For me it is a small price to pay for re-connecting with long-lost friends who live far far away, with whom online social networks is the only way we keep in touch.

Chater-La