Hands down, the Internet has changed a lot in the last decade. There are far more people online and there are so many websites to visit now that it is certain that no one will be able to visit each one. Along with this comes the problems like identity theft, and losing a job over material posted online. Michael Arrington writes Reputation Is Dead: It’s Time To Overlook Our Indiscretions and discusses this matter.
There are a lot of services that allow anonymous services. It gives the freedom for people to slander your name and not let you defend yourself. With employers looking online (and believe me, they do), you could even have people post embarrassing photos and such.
A lot of these places are actually suppose to collect data on these messages, but I am not sure if employers will ignore past indiscretions if it is published. I do hope that they would do a thorough job in checking backgrounds, but how much should they look into? How can you protect your right to some privacy?
In the case of most jobs, as long as what you say about work is not defamatory, you should be good. It is not hard. If your job is not the greatest, that is your opinion, but do not lie about it. Some employers will harass you and tell you what your rights are, but this is a heads up – like I said, if you are telling the truth, you should not be even in their office being reprimanded.
If you are not certain of your rights, especially for those bloggers in the United States, check out the Election Frontier Foundation on their Legal Guide for Bloggers and Blogger’s Rights.
With the increasing number of services online that allow anonymous interaction, it is important that you take responsibility for anything that is posted about yourself. The first would be taking the time to research.
What do you think about services that allow people to post or send pics or messages anonymously? How much of your background should an employer look into when it comes to finding a job?
In some respects, not sure I care.
Reputations can be torn down by slander in an instant.
Which is why we used to have dueling. Slander someone and you legally sanctioned recourse.
Worst case, I've moving back east. Like Shawnee area, or Crawford County IN, or around Pall Mall Tennessee. Internet reputation would hardly matter.
My recent post How To Publish The **** Out Of Your Blog Post
Yes they can… I agree. I run quite a few fanfiction communities and some of the best people are targets for people who have no better plans than to rip others apart.
As for location – A lot of people might believe moving to a smaller region might not matter, but it does. I live in southern IL. When people ask me if I live near Chicago… I say… about 400 miles south of there. They are unusually surprised and that is fine… makes the conversation interesting.
Your reputation both online and offline is what you want to make of it. For some people like myself, they do fall hand-in-hand because it is what I do as a web designer.