Radical Transparency

As more people dive into the social networking fray and fall deep into its time sinkhole (and we're all doing it no matter how much we resist) it leaves me to ponder this "radical transparency" that we are all faced with (sorry for using that awful term "radical transparency" which is just another annoying buzzword).

A decade ago we were all worried about online privacy and now we are just putting it all out there with no regard for privacy so it seems.

Over the past few months, I've been pondering whether or not I should have separate professional and personal online profiles because you never know when your personal life, whether it is a blog posting or a comment you write or a picture you post, is going to intersect with your professional life and damage your career or professional reputation.

Something that I may find funny and blog or comment on could be offensive to someone else, and that person just might be a potential client or colleague. I would like to think that never happens, but in reality, it does happen and it happens everyday to somebody somewhere.

As of now, my Facebook profile contains all personal content, but I've intersected it with my professional life by allowing colleagues and clients to be on my friends list with full access to my profile. Is this wise or foolish? I guess time will tell.

Others, such as Forrester Research Analyst Charlene Li, have two profiles, one for everyone and the other for close friends and family. Another option is changing your privacy settings and limiting access to certain people on your friends list. Frankly, I haven't done this. If you're on my friends list, you have full access to my profile.

I do think we should be careful in how much we reveal. Maybe that's my age talking and those under 25 don't care and like putting it all out there for the whole world to see, read and feel. But, it could cost them in the long run (or to use another annoying buzzword...the long tail).

In today's New York Times there's an article, How to Lose Your Job on Your Own Time, written by my former San Jose State University professor Randall Stross. He writes about Stacy Snyder, 25, who had posted on her MySpace profile a picture of herself (see picture above) at a costume party where she was wearing a pirate's hat and wrote the comment "drunken pirate," which was most likely innocent fun and not an irresponsible act as her employer must have taken it as. That harmless (in my opinion) comment ended up being quite harmful and it cost her greatly. Snyder lost her student teaching job and her teaching certificate. Snyder has filed a lawsuit and is waiting for a trial date.

This is a clear example that what we share online can have a negative impact on our careers. Maybe one way to prevent this is to keep our personal and professional online profiles separate with our personal profiles set to private.

However, there is a grey area where the two intersect and intertwine, which is when our close friends are also our colleagues, clients, co-workers and bosses. I suppose when they are one in the same and can't be separated it only complicates the matter, but I'd like to think that anyone who is a close friend of mine is not easily offended by what I say or write and will not allow it to affect our professional working relationship.

I'm sure there will be more lawsuits around this issue and the rulings on each will play a role in how we all manage our online presence. Until then, I think most people will keep putting it all out there and living a transparent life.

UPDATE (03/08/08): If managing your online reputation is of concern to you (and it should be to all of us), and it is something you want to learn more about, then you may want to read Radically Transparent, a new book by Andy Beal, Internet marketing consultant and blogger.